NCERT Textbook: Innovation, Inclusivity and Inspiring Change | Arts (Kriti) Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

 Page 1


13
INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND 
INSPIRING CHANGE
1. Innovation  
in Dance
The deeper the roots of a tree, 
the higher the branches reach. 
Similarly, the more knowledge 
and depth you have of your dance traditions, the 
more you can create and innovate.
If you look around, you will ??nd movement and 
rhythm everywhere. The ??utter of birds, the quivering 
of leaves, the sway of the grass, the sweeping of 
the broom, the picking of tea leaves — they are all 
movements. If you pick any such activity, you can 
create your own movement based on it, with all the 
material you have learnt.
Every dancer brings the potential for new 
innovation in dance. A strong foundation in dance, 
along with observations, experiences and your 
original thoughts, bring uniqueness to your dance.
Integration of Other Allied Forms 
A step ahead in innovation is the inclusion of other 
allied forms in dance, like martial arts.
There are some traditional sports and martial arts 
traditions of India that have movement sequences in 
Dance innovations with martial arts
their training, that have been creatively incorporated 
into dance by many artists. You have learnt about 
Chhau, which has developed with martial arts 
traditions of phari khanda.
ch13_DANCE.indd   144 ch13_DANCE.indd   144 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
Page 2


13
INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND 
INSPIRING CHANGE
1. Innovation  
in Dance
The deeper the roots of a tree, 
the higher the branches reach. 
Similarly, the more knowledge 
and depth you have of your dance traditions, the 
more you can create and innovate.
If you look around, you will ??nd movement and 
rhythm everywhere. The ??utter of birds, the quivering 
of leaves, the sway of the grass, the sweeping of 
the broom, the picking of tea leaves — they are all 
movements. If you pick any such activity, you can 
create your own movement based on it, with all the 
material you have learnt.
Every dancer brings the potential for new 
innovation in dance. A strong foundation in dance, 
along with observations, experiences and your 
original thoughts, bring uniqueness to your dance.
Integration of Other Allied Forms 
A step ahead in innovation is the inclusion of other 
allied forms in dance, like martial arts.
There are some traditional sports and martial arts 
traditions of India that have movement sequences in 
Dance innovations with martial arts
their training, that have been creatively incorporated 
into dance by many artists. You have learnt about 
Chhau, which has developed with martial arts 
traditions of phari khanda.
ch13_DANCE.indd   144 ch13_DANCE.indd   144 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
145  | INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE
Kalaripayattu
You will now learn about two other forms of martial 
arts, which are being creatively used in present-day 
development of dance. 
1 Kalar i p a y a tt u  :  A practice of Kerala, it is considered 
one of the oldest forms of martial arts worldwide. 
Legend says that it originates from Parashurama, 
the great sage, who is deemed to have been the 
creator of Kerala. Recent researches connect it to 
the Sangam Period, 600 – 300 BCE. Developed as 
a self-defence mechanism, the training is based 
on the scienti??c marma knowledge of Ayurveda 
and has movement phrases which are based on 
animal stances and movements.
2. Thang-Ta: A martial arts practice from Manipur, 
the word means the ‘Art of Sword and Spear’. It 
harmonises the inner energies with outer actions, 
expressing various kinds of movements with 
rhythmic breath control. It is also ritualistic in 
practice. It is believed that all movements of the 
Meitei people have originated from Thang-Ta.
Thang-Ta
Martial Arts used in Dance: The famous dancer 
and choreographer Chandralekha was a pioneer 
in amalgamating kalaripayattu and yoga with 
bharatanatyam in her choreographies and 
productions.
ch13_DANCE.indd   145 ch13_DANCE.indd   145 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
Page 3


13
INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND 
INSPIRING CHANGE
1. Innovation  
in Dance
The deeper the roots of a tree, 
the higher the branches reach. 
Similarly, the more knowledge 
and depth you have of your dance traditions, the 
more you can create and innovate.
If you look around, you will ??nd movement and 
rhythm everywhere. The ??utter of birds, the quivering 
of leaves, the sway of the grass, the sweeping of 
the broom, the picking of tea leaves — they are all 
movements. If you pick any such activity, you can 
create your own movement based on it, with all the 
material you have learnt.
Every dancer brings the potential for new 
innovation in dance. A strong foundation in dance, 
along with observations, experiences and your 
original thoughts, bring uniqueness to your dance.
Integration of Other Allied Forms 
A step ahead in innovation is the inclusion of other 
allied forms in dance, like martial arts.
There are some traditional sports and martial arts 
traditions of India that have movement sequences in 
Dance innovations with martial arts
their training, that have been creatively incorporated 
into dance by many artists. You have learnt about 
Chhau, which has developed with martial arts 
traditions of phari khanda.
ch13_DANCE.indd   144 ch13_DANCE.indd   144 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
145  | INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE
Kalaripayattu
You will now learn about two other forms of martial 
arts, which are being creatively used in present-day 
development of dance. 
1 Kalar i p a y a tt u  :  A practice of Kerala, it is considered 
one of the oldest forms of martial arts worldwide. 
Legend says that it originates from Parashurama, 
the great sage, who is deemed to have been the 
creator of Kerala. Recent researches connect it to 
the Sangam Period, 600 – 300 BCE. Developed as 
a self-defence mechanism, the training is based 
on the scienti??c marma knowledge of Ayurveda 
and has movement phrases which are based on 
animal stances and movements.
2. Thang-Ta: A martial arts practice from Manipur, 
the word means the ‘Art of Sword and Spear’. It 
harmonises the inner energies with outer actions, 
expressing various kinds of movements with 
rhythmic breath control. It is also ritualistic in 
practice. It is believed that all movements of the 
Meitei people have originated from Thang-Ta.
Thang-Ta
Martial Arts used in Dance: The famous dancer 
and choreographer Chandralekha was a pioneer 
in amalgamating kalaripayattu and yoga with 
bharatanatyam in her choreographies and 
productions.
ch13_DANCE.indd   145 ch13_DANCE.indd   145 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
146  | KRITI
Examples of Innovation
Many dance artists have experimented with their dance forms 
to tell contemporary stories and showcase current scenarios. 
You have learnt about two pioneers of the modern dance 
development in India in Grade 7. In continuation, there are 
many other dance practitioners and institutions that have been 
instrumental in developing choreographies using creative 
movements as well as using traditional dance vocabulary to 
depict stories of today through dance. 
The following are a few among many such artists who 
have made signi??cant contributions. Each of them has been 
honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for creative 
choreography.
ACTIVITY 13.1: WATCH AND LEARN 
Try to practice one or two movements 
of the above martial arts with a visiting 
practitioner or under the guidance and 
inspection of a teacher from the QR code.
Note to the Teacher: Advisable to 
do this in small groups.
Narendra Sharma expanded his horizons 
and carved a niche for himself in developing 
creative dance. One of the senior-most students 
of Uday Shankar, his many choreographies 
and dance dramas re??ected socially relevant 
contemporary situations. He is known to create 
a healthy free dance movement for children, 
in which his e??orts have shown substantial success with the 
institutionalisation of dance education. He produced over 40 
original fabulous works, including notable productions like 
Kamayani (1970), Wolf-Boy (1977), Antim Adhyaya (1985), and 
Gandhi (2007). These works were acclaimed for their innovative 
themes and choreographic excellence. 
ch13_DANCE.indd   146 ch13_DANCE.indd   146 19-06-2025   17:30:59 19-06-2025   17:30:59
Page 4


13
INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND 
INSPIRING CHANGE
1. Innovation  
in Dance
The deeper the roots of a tree, 
the higher the branches reach. 
Similarly, the more knowledge 
and depth you have of your dance traditions, the 
more you can create and innovate.
If you look around, you will ??nd movement and 
rhythm everywhere. The ??utter of birds, the quivering 
of leaves, the sway of the grass, the sweeping of 
the broom, the picking of tea leaves — they are all 
movements. If you pick any such activity, you can 
create your own movement based on it, with all the 
material you have learnt.
Every dancer brings the potential for new 
innovation in dance. A strong foundation in dance, 
along with observations, experiences and your 
original thoughts, bring uniqueness to your dance.
Integration of Other Allied Forms 
A step ahead in innovation is the inclusion of other 
allied forms in dance, like martial arts.
There are some traditional sports and martial arts 
traditions of India that have movement sequences in 
Dance innovations with martial arts
their training, that have been creatively incorporated 
into dance by many artists. You have learnt about 
Chhau, which has developed with martial arts 
traditions of phari khanda.
ch13_DANCE.indd   144 ch13_DANCE.indd   144 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
145  | INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE
Kalaripayattu
You will now learn about two other forms of martial 
arts, which are being creatively used in present-day 
development of dance. 
1 Kalar i p a y a tt u  :  A practice of Kerala, it is considered 
one of the oldest forms of martial arts worldwide. 
Legend says that it originates from Parashurama, 
the great sage, who is deemed to have been the 
creator of Kerala. Recent researches connect it to 
the Sangam Period, 600 – 300 BCE. Developed as 
a self-defence mechanism, the training is based 
on the scienti??c marma knowledge of Ayurveda 
and has movement phrases which are based on 
animal stances and movements.
2. Thang-Ta: A martial arts practice from Manipur, 
the word means the ‘Art of Sword and Spear’. It 
harmonises the inner energies with outer actions, 
expressing various kinds of movements with 
rhythmic breath control. It is also ritualistic in 
practice. It is believed that all movements of the 
Meitei people have originated from Thang-Ta.
Thang-Ta
Martial Arts used in Dance: The famous dancer 
and choreographer Chandralekha was a pioneer 
in amalgamating kalaripayattu and yoga with 
bharatanatyam in her choreographies and 
productions.
ch13_DANCE.indd   145 ch13_DANCE.indd   145 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
146  | KRITI
Examples of Innovation
Many dance artists have experimented with their dance forms 
to tell contemporary stories and showcase current scenarios. 
You have learnt about two pioneers of the modern dance 
development in India in Grade 7. In continuation, there are 
many other dance practitioners and institutions that have been 
instrumental in developing choreographies using creative 
movements as well as using traditional dance vocabulary to 
depict stories of today through dance. 
The following are a few among many such artists who 
have made signi??cant contributions. Each of them has been 
honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for creative 
choreography.
ACTIVITY 13.1: WATCH AND LEARN 
Try to practice one or two movements 
of the above martial arts with a visiting 
practitioner or under the guidance and 
inspection of a teacher from the QR code.
Note to the Teacher: Advisable to 
do this in small groups.
Narendra Sharma expanded his horizons 
and carved a niche for himself in developing 
creative dance. One of the senior-most students 
of Uday Shankar, his many choreographies 
and dance dramas re??ected socially relevant 
contemporary situations. He is known to create 
a healthy free dance movement for children, 
in which his e??orts have shown substantial success with the 
institutionalisation of dance education. He produced over 40 
original fabulous works, including notable productions like 
Kamayani (1970), Wolf-Boy (1977), Antim Adhyaya (1985), and 
Gandhi (2007). These works were acclaimed for their innovative 
themes and choreographic excellence. 
ch13_DANCE.indd   146 ch13_DANCE.indd   146 19-06-2025   17:30:59 19-06-2025   17:30:59
147  | INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE
Kumudini Lakhia, 
the famous kathak 
dancer, was one 
of the pioneers 
in bringing a 
fresh outlook to 
a form. She was 
a pioneering kathak dancer and 
choreographer who revolutionised 
the traditional solo format of kathak 
by introducing group choreography 
and contemporary themes. Going 
beyond the traditional repertoire, she 
asked, “Where do I go from here?”. 
Thus, her ??rst groundbreaking 
choreography, Atah Kim, was born. 
Other creative dance productions 
were Dhabkar (Pulse), The Coat, 
Feathered Cloth 
(Hagoromo) 
among many 
others. Her dance 
choreographies 
integrated the 
abstract and 
narratives, often 
addressing 
contemporary 
themes. 
Chandralekha was one of the earliest dancers who 
dramatically brought changes in traditional forms 
and synchronised various Indian dance, yoga and 
kalaripayattu with philosophy, and literature also. 
In her production Angika, she presented traditional 
Bharatanatyam vocabulary of dance based on the 
principles of Abhinaya Darpana and integrated Kalaripayattu with 
it. Lilavati was based on Bhaskacharya’s mathematics treatise which 
she choreographed in dance using numbers, nature and imagination. 
Prana was based on yoga and breath in dance. She has also worked 
with modern dancers and actors from the West in experimental 
productions. She has made ??lms on dance and written on the subject. 
Among her ??lms are The Myth of Woman (1976) and Hasta (1984).
Acharya Parvatikumar was a pioneering dance 
choreographer for dance dramas like ‘Discovery 
of India, Rhythm of Culture, and Dekh Teri Bambai’ 
where he seamlessly integrated various Indian dance 
styles and showed contemporary concepts using 
traditional dance forms, for example, creating a scene 
of the Dabbawalas taking deliveries around the city using kathak 
footwork, showing the chase between police and thief using the game of  
‘hu-tu-tu’. On the traditional dance front, he was the only dance Guru 
to have researched and choreographed the Marathi compositions 
of Raja Sarfoji II of the Bhosale Dynasty in Bharatanatyam. He also 
bridged the gap between theory and practice by choreographing the 
dance text Abhinaya Darpanam into an audio-visual form. 
ch13_DANCE.indd   147 ch13_DANCE.indd   147 19-06-2025   17:31:00 19-06-2025   17:31:00
Page 5


13
INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND 
INSPIRING CHANGE
1. Innovation  
in Dance
The deeper the roots of a tree, 
the higher the branches reach. 
Similarly, the more knowledge 
and depth you have of your dance traditions, the 
more you can create and innovate.
If you look around, you will ??nd movement and 
rhythm everywhere. The ??utter of birds, the quivering 
of leaves, the sway of the grass, the sweeping of 
the broom, the picking of tea leaves — they are all 
movements. If you pick any such activity, you can 
create your own movement based on it, with all the 
material you have learnt.
Every dancer brings the potential for new 
innovation in dance. A strong foundation in dance, 
along with observations, experiences and your 
original thoughts, bring uniqueness to your dance.
Integration of Other Allied Forms 
A step ahead in innovation is the inclusion of other 
allied forms in dance, like martial arts.
There are some traditional sports and martial arts 
traditions of India that have movement sequences in 
Dance innovations with martial arts
their training, that have been creatively incorporated 
into dance by many artists. You have learnt about 
Chhau, which has developed with martial arts 
traditions of phari khanda.
ch13_DANCE.indd   144 ch13_DANCE.indd   144 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
145  | INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE
Kalaripayattu
You will now learn about two other forms of martial 
arts, which are being creatively used in present-day 
development of dance. 
1 Kalar i p a y a tt u  :  A practice of Kerala, it is considered 
one of the oldest forms of martial arts worldwide. 
Legend says that it originates from Parashurama, 
the great sage, who is deemed to have been the 
creator of Kerala. Recent researches connect it to 
the Sangam Period, 600 – 300 BCE. Developed as 
a self-defence mechanism, the training is based 
on the scienti??c marma knowledge of Ayurveda 
and has movement phrases which are based on 
animal stances and movements.
2. Thang-Ta: A martial arts practice from Manipur, 
the word means the ‘Art of Sword and Spear’. It 
harmonises the inner energies with outer actions, 
expressing various kinds of movements with 
rhythmic breath control. It is also ritualistic in 
practice. It is believed that all movements of the 
Meitei people have originated from Thang-Ta.
Thang-Ta
Martial Arts used in Dance: The famous dancer 
and choreographer Chandralekha was a pioneer 
in amalgamating kalaripayattu and yoga with 
bharatanatyam in her choreographies and 
productions.
ch13_DANCE.indd   145 ch13_DANCE.indd   145 19-06-2025   17:30:58 19-06-2025   17:30:58
146  | KRITI
Examples of Innovation
Many dance artists have experimented with their dance forms 
to tell contemporary stories and showcase current scenarios. 
You have learnt about two pioneers of the modern dance 
development in India in Grade 7. In continuation, there are 
many other dance practitioners and institutions that have been 
instrumental in developing choreographies using creative 
movements as well as using traditional dance vocabulary to 
depict stories of today through dance. 
The following are a few among many such artists who 
have made signi??cant contributions. Each of them has been 
honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for creative 
choreography.
ACTIVITY 13.1: WATCH AND LEARN 
Try to practice one or two movements 
of the above martial arts with a visiting 
practitioner or under the guidance and 
inspection of a teacher from the QR code.
Note to the Teacher: Advisable to 
do this in small groups.
Narendra Sharma expanded his horizons 
and carved a niche for himself in developing 
creative dance. One of the senior-most students 
of Uday Shankar, his many choreographies 
and dance dramas re??ected socially relevant 
contemporary situations. He is known to create 
a healthy free dance movement for children, 
in which his e??orts have shown substantial success with the 
institutionalisation of dance education. He produced over 40 
original fabulous works, including notable productions like 
Kamayani (1970), Wolf-Boy (1977), Antim Adhyaya (1985), and 
Gandhi (2007). These works were acclaimed for their innovative 
themes and choreographic excellence. 
ch13_DANCE.indd   146 ch13_DANCE.indd   146 19-06-2025   17:30:59 19-06-2025   17:30:59
147  | INNOVATION, INCLUSIVITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE
Kumudini Lakhia, 
the famous kathak 
dancer, was one 
of the pioneers 
in bringing a 
fresh outlook to 
a form. She was 
a pioneering kathak dancer and 
choreographer who revolutionised 
the traditional solo format of kathak 
by introducing group choreography 
and contemporary themes. Going 
beyond the traditional repertoire, she 
asked, “Where do I go from here?”. 
Thus, her ??rst groundbreaking 
choreography, Atah Kim, was born. 
Other creative dance productions 
were Dhabkar (Pulse), The Coat, 
Feathered Cloth 
(Hagoromo) 
among many 
others. Her dance 
choreographies 
integrated the 
abstract and 
narratives, often 
addressing 
contemporary 
themes. 
Chandralekha was one of the earliest dancers who 
dramatically brought changes in traditional forms 
and synchronised various Indian dance, yoga and 
kalaripayattu with philosophy, and literature also. 
In her production Angika, she presented traditional 
Bharatanatyam vocabulary of dance based on the 
principles of Abhinaya Darpana and integrated Kalaripayattu with 
it. Lilavati was based on Bhaskacharya’s mathematics treatise which 
she choreographed in dance using numbers, nature and imagination. 
Prana was based on yoga and breath in dance. She has also worked 
with modern dancers and actors from the West in experimental 
productions. She has made ??lms on dance and written on the subject. 
Among her ??lms are The Myth of Woman (1976) and Hasta (1984).
Acharya Parvatikumar was a pioneering dance 
choreographer for dance dramas like ‘Discovery 
of India, Rhythm of Culture, and Dekh Teri Bambai’ 
where he seamlessly integrated various Indian dance 
styles and showed contemporary concepts using 
traditional dance forms, for example, creating a scene 
of the Dabbawalas taking deliveries around the city using kathak 
footwork, showing the chase between police and thief using the game of  
‘hu-tu-tu’. On the traditional dance front, he was the only dance Guru 
to have researched and choreographed the Marathi compositions 
of Raja Sarfoji II of the Bhosale Dynasty in Bharatanatyam. He also 
bridged the gap between theory and practice by choreographing the 
dance text Abhinaya Darpanam into an audio-visual form. 
ch13_DANCE.indd   147 ch13_DANCE.indd   147 19-06-2025   17:31:00 19-06-2025   17:31:00
148  | KRITI
ACTIVITY 13.2 DANCE THE NOW 
Choose a current theme concerning a socially relevant issue like the 
environment and cleanliness or climate change and develop your 
creative dance. Song example — Swachh Bharat song.
Choreography
Note to the Teacher: Suggest a song that is from the region or one that the students are familiar with.
ch13_DANCE.indd   148 ch13_DANCE.indd   148 19-06-2025   17:31:00 19-06-2025   17:31:00