Class 4 · Arts · New NCERT
Chapter 15: My Dance Tells Stories
"My Dance Tells Stories" links dance with storytelling. Children use movement, facial expression and gesture to show characters, actions and events, perhaps from the Panchatantra tale that runs through the book. India has many dance forms that tell stories through gesture and expression, and the chapter introduces this idea in simple form. Children work in groups, decide how to show each part and perform for each other. It builds imagination, memory and teamwork, and ties dance to the Theatre and Music units.
This is chapter 15 of 18 in Bansuri, the Class 4 Arts textbook, in the Dance section, and begins on page 150 of the printed 2026-27 book. It follows "My Body in Dance" and is followed by "Creating My Dance".
In "My Dance Tells Stories", the process matters more than the product. Children are encouraged to experiment, observe and express in their own way, and the book states that there is no pass or fail in arts at this stage. Activities can be done with simple, locally available materials. Each class can begin with a minute of quiet recall of the previous lesson and end with Circle Time, when children talk freely and the teacher notes observations for future planning.
After "My Dance Tells Stories", ask your child to show or teach you something they learnt: a song, a movement, a drawing or a short scene. Watching, listening and appreciating at home encourages the habit of creative practice, which grows over time.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.