Recently, an international travel website ranked Ghoomar fourth on the list of wor ld s most amazing local dances.

Hawaii s Hula dance was placed at number one. Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan. This dance gets its name from word ghoo mna . This week let us discuss dance forms and dance exponents of India. Questions on Indian culture and art forms are often asked in competitive exams. 1. Bhangra is one of Punjab's most popular dances performed by men. Name the dan ce performed by Punjabi women, which is often considered to be derived from the ancient dance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic as Bhangra. 2. On the basis of archaeological evidences, this dance form is the oldest survi ving dance form of India. Kelucharan Mohapatra, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansing h are among the leading names of this dance form. Name it. 3. In 2004, a two-metre statue was unveiled at CERN, the European Centre for Res earch in Particle Physics in Geneva. The statue, symbolizing cosmic dance of crea tion and destruction , was given to CERN by the Government of Indian to celebrate the research centre s long association with India. Whose statue was unveiled? 4. Which term describes the dance performed by Goddess Parvati as it expresses h appiness and is filled with grace and beauty? She is believed to have danced thi s dance form in response to Tandava performed by Lord Shiva. In a literal sense, t his dance means beauty, happiness and grace. 5. This is a genre of Indian tribal martial dance which is popular in Odisha, Jh arkhand and West Bengal. Scholars believe that the origin of the name of this da nce form is from Sanskrit word Chaya (shadow, image or mask). Hindi film Barfi! s several scenes that feature this folk dance. Which dance am I talking about?

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6. Which dance form gets its name from a word used in Sanskrit for story ? The perf ormers of this dance were originally a caste of story-tellers in temples of nort h India, who embellished their performances with gestures and songs. Which dance form is being discussed? 7. Which form of Sanskrit theatre traditionally performed in the Sanskrit langua ge in Kerala temples is believed to be 2,000 years old? It is officially recogni sed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . 8. Sattriya Nritya is one among the eight principal classical Indian dance tradi tions. In the year 2000, the Sattriya dances received recognition as one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It is popular in which State? 9. Rukmini Devi Arundale is considered the most important revivalist in an India n classical dance form. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956. In 1977, Mora rji Desai offered to nominate her for the post of President of India, which she turned down. With which dance form is she related? 10. Guess the noted danseuse from the following clues: Husband a great Indian sc ientist; elder sister Capt Lakshmi Sehgal; daughter - an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. ANSWERS: 1. Giddha; 2. Odissi; 3. Nataraj, the dancing Shiva; 4. Lasya; 5. Chhau dance; 6 . Kathak (katha = story); 7. Koodiyattam (Kutiyattam); 8. Assam; 9. Bharatnatyam ; 10. Mrinalini Sarabhai (her husband Vikram Sarabhai, daughter is Mallika Sarab hai)