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Focus points and focus questions

Fusion dance  |  Dance styles  | Focus points and focus questions |  Suggested activities  |  Related resources

Focus points

The video/DVD first shows some Indian classical dance. We then see Bollywood dance and the way in which it fuses classical Indian dance and Western dance genres, such as hip hop.

Indian dance often tells stories. In this section of the video/DVD, look for a dance that seems to be telling a story.

Focus questions

Indian classical dance

  • What are the dancers wearing? What make-up and jewellery do they have on?
  • How does this clothing, make-up, and jewellery affect or enhance the movements of the dancers? (For example, eye make-up draws attention to their eye movements.)
  • What is the prop that the young girls are dancing with? (candles) Why do you think the young girls are using this prop?
  • Which of the dances in this section appear to be telling a story? What aspects of the dance suggest this?
  • Why do you think that Indian classical dancers almost always perform facing the audience?
  • How do the Bharata Natyam duet and the Kathak solo differ in their movements and costuming?

Bollywood dance

  • How are Bollywood costumes similar to or different from the classical Indian dance costumes?
  • How have classical Indian dance movements been added to or changed to make Bollywood dance?
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