UGC NET Performing Arts Syllabus 2026 – Complete Guide (Dance & Drama/Theatre), Unit-wise Topics, Exam Pattern
UGC NET Performing Arts encompasses Dance and Drama/Theatre as major sub-disciplines. Candidates can appear for UGC NET in their specific stream of performing arts — covering theory, history, aesthetics, and practice of classical and contemporary performance traditions. This comprehensive guide covers the complete UGC NET Performing Arts syllabus 2026, exam pattern, unit-wise topics, books, and career scope for both Dance and Theatre/Drama.
📌 Dance: Subject Code 61 | Drama/Theatre: Subject Code 62 | Both: CBT, no negative marking
UGC NET Performing Arts Exam Pattern 2026
✅ No practical examination in UGC NET. Theory-only CBT. Paper 2 tests deep knowledge of performance theory, history, notation, aesthetics, and pedagogy.
Dance (Code 61) – Syllabus Unit Wise
Unit 1 – Introduction to Indian Classical Dance
- Natyashastra of Bharata Muni: Dating (2nd century BCE – 2nd century CE); concept of Natya; 10 types of Rupakas; Rasa theory (Sringara, Hasya, Karuna, Raudra, Vira, Bhayanaka, Bibhatsa, Adbhuta — 8 classical rasas; Shanta added later); Bhava-Rasa relationship; Abhinaya (Angika, Vachika, Aharya, Sattvika)
- Dance in temples: Devadasi system — Bharatanatyam origin in Tanjore; Salabhanjika sculpture as dance reference; Nataraja iconography (Chola bronze)
- Sangeet Natak Akademi: Recognises 8 classical forms — Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Sattriya (added 2000)
- Folk dances of India: Bhangra (Punjab); Garba/Dandiya (Gujarat); Chhau (Jharkhand/WB/Odisha — Sun Chhau, Seraikella Chhau, Mayurbhanj Chhau); Yakshagana (Karnataka); Lavani (Maharashtra); Bihu (Assam)
Unit 2 – Bharatanatyam
- Origin: Sadir nritya of Devadasis of Tamil Nadu; revival by Rukmini Devi Arundale (Kalakshetra 1936); E. Krishna Iyer
- Structure of a margam: Alarippu → Jatiswaram → Shabdam → Varnam → Padam → Javali → Tillana → Mangalam
- Technical aspects: Araimandi (half-sit position); Ardhamandali; Tribhangi; Nritta, Nritya, Natya distinction
- Adavus: Classification — Tatta, Natta, Visharu, Pakka, Kudita Metta, Mandiya, Sarikkal, Pardha Sarukkal
- Accompanying music: Carnatic; Natuvangam (cymbals); Mridangam; Veena; Nattuvangam maestros
Unit 3 – Kathak
- Origin: Storytelling tradition of Kathakas; dual Hindu (temple) and Mughal (court) influence; three gharanas — Lucknow (Birju Maharaj lineage — thumri, grace), Jaipur (strong tatkar, vigorous), Banaras
- Elements: Tatkar (footwork); Chakkar (spins); Toras and Tukdas; Toda; Paran; Tihai; Aamad
- Abhinaya: Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal as vehicles; Bhakti and Shringar rasas; Krishna Leela
- Costumes: Ghagra-choli (feminine); Dhoti-kurta (masculine); Churidar variations
- Maestros: Birju Maharaj; Lacchhu Maharaj; Sitara Devi; Kumudini Lakhia; Shovana Narayan
Unit 4 – Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Sattriya
- Odissi: Mahari tradition (temple devadasi); Gotipua (boys dressed as girls); revival by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra; Tribhangi posture; Tribhanga as central aesthetic; Chauka (male) and Abhinaya; music: Odissi classical
- Kuchipudi: Andhra Pradesh; Kuchipudi village tradition; Brahmin male dancers; Bhama Kalapam; Tarangam (dancing on brass plate); contemporary female practitioners; Yamini Krishnamurthy; Raja Reddy, Radha Reddy
- Manipuri: Northeast India; Vaishnava tradition; Raas Leela (Maharaas, Vasantaraas, Kunja Raas); Pung (mridanga of Manipur); Cholom (drum dance); G. Bipin Singh revival; Darshan Singh
- Mohiniyattam: Kerala; Lasya style (feminine); Mohini character; 19th century revival; Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma; Bharathi Shivaji
- Kathakali: Kerala; elaborate makeup (Chutti — paste makeup); Navarasas; male performers traditionally; stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana; Kalamandalam; Guru Kunchu Kurup
- Sattriya: Assam; Vaishnava monastery (Satra) tradition; created by Mahapurusha Shankaradeva (15th century); Ankia Naat (one-act plays); UNESCO recognition
Unit 5 – Dance Notation and Research Methods
- Dance notation systems: Labanotation (Rudolf Laban); Benesh Movement Notation (BMN); Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation
- Indian notation attempts: Natya Shastra descriptions; hastalakshana deepika; modern efforts at codification
- Research in dance: ethnochoreology; fieldwork methods; oral history interviews with gurus; video documentation; archives
- Dance and technology: motion capture; VR in dance; digital preservation of intangible heritage
- Dance therapy: movement and health; dance movement therapy (DMT); applications in mental health
Drama/Theatre (Code 62) – Syllabus Unit Wise
Unit 6 – Indian Theatre: Classical and Folk
- Sanskrit drama: Natyashastra; major playwrights — Bhasa (Svapnavasavadatta), Kalidasa (Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Vikramorvasiya, Malavikagnimitra), Shudraka (Mricchhakatika), Bhavabhuti, Vishakhadatta (Mudrarakshasa), Harsha (Ratnavali, Priyadarshika)
- Theatre space: Natyagritha (three types — rectangular/Vikrishta, square/Chaturasra, triangular/Tryasra); Ranga; Nepathya; Rangapitha
- Folk theatre forms: Nautanki (UP/Rajasthan); Tamasha (Maharashtra); Jatra (Bengal); Yakshagana (Karnataka); Therukoothu (Tamil Nadu); Bhavai (Gujarat); Ankiya Naat (Assam); Ramlila; Raasleela
- Parsi theatre: 19th century; Bombay; Urdu-Hindi melodrama; origin of Bollywood conventions
Unit 7 – Western Theatre History
- Greek theatre: Dionysus festival; Aeschylus (Oresteia); Sophocles (Oedipus Rex); Euripides (Medea); Aristophanes (Lysistrata — comedy); Greek tragedy theory (Aristotle's Poetics — catharsis, hamartia, anagnorisis)
- Roman theatre: Plautus; Terence; Seneca; amphitheatres; gladiatorial games vs. drama
- Medieval theatre: Mystery plays; Morality plays (Everyman); liturgical drama; pageant wagons
- Renaissance theatre: Commedia dell'arte; Globe Theatre; Shakespeare (Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream); Marlowe; Jonson
- Modern theatre: Ibsen (naturalism — A Doll's House); Strindberg; Chekhov (The Cherry Orchard); Shaw; Brecht (Epic Theatre — Verfremdungseffekt/alienation effect); Artaud (Theatre of Cruelty); Beckett (Theatre of the Absurd — Waiting for Godot)
Unit 8 – Modern Indian Theatre and Directors
- Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA): Founded 1943; left movement; Bijon Bhattacharya (Nabanna); Balraj Sahni; Safdar Hashmi (Jana Natya Manch — Janam)
- Contemporary Indian directors: Habib Tanvir (Naya Theatre, Chhattisgarh folk — Charandas Chor); Girish Karnad (Tughlaq, Hayavadana — myth and history); Vijay Tendulkar (Ghashiram Kotwal — social realism); Mahesh Elkunchwar; Badal Sircar (Third Theatre — Ebong Indrajit)
- NSD (National School of Drama): New Delhi; established 1959; alumni; Repertory Company; Theatre Olympics
- Regional theatre movements: Bengali theatre (Group Theatre); Malayalam theatre; Tamil professional drama; Marathi Natya Sangeet
Unit 9 – Theatre Theory and Aesthetics
- Aristotle's Poetics: Mimesis; six elements of tragedy (plot, character, thought, diction, spectacle, song); catharsis
- Stanislavski's system: Emotional memory; Given circumstances; Magic If; Method acting; Actor's preparation
- Brecht's Epic Theatre: Alienation effect (Verfremdung); gestus; historicisation; audience as rational observer
- Grotowski's Poor Theatre: Actor-spectator relationship; eliminating technical apparatus; body as instrument
- Rasa theory applied to drama: Navarasa; Sthayibhava; Vibhava, Anubhava, Vyabhicharibhava
- Postmodern theatre: Deconstruction; non-linear narrative; multimedia theatre; site-specific performance
Unit 10 – Theatre Design, Management and Contemporary Issues
- Stage design: Proscenium; Thrust stage; Arena/Theatre-in-the-round; Black box; Traverse stage
- Lighting design: Motivation; colour; intensity; angles (front, side, back lighting); gobos; LED technology
- Costume and makeup: Period research; character expression; special effects makeup
- Theatre management: Production management; ticketing; grant writing; cultural policy; arts sponsorship
- Theatre and disability: Inclusive casting; audio description; sign language interpretation; deaf theatre
- Digital and immersive theatre: Zoom theatre (post-COVID); VR experiences; live streaming; site-specific work
Key Books for UGC NET Performing Arts
Career Scope After UGC NET Performing Arts
- Assistant Professor in Dance/Theatre: Teach in Dance, Drama, or Performing Arts departments at universities, colleges, and cultural institutes.
- JRF Research: Funded PhD in dance history, theatre anthropology, performance studies, or intangible cultural heritage.
- Cultural institutions: Sangeet Natak Akademi; CCRT (Centre for Cultural Resources and Training); Zonal Cultural Centres; state academies.
- NSD: Faculty, director, researcher roles at National School of Drama.
- Arts administration: Festival management; grant writing; cultural policy; theatre company management.
- Film and media: Choreographer; theatre director for screen; movement coach.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I appear for UGC NET if I have a degree in one classical dance form only?
Yes. If your PG degree is in any classical dance form — Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, etc. — you can appear for UGC NET Dance (Code 61). The paper tests knowledge across all classical forms, so you should prepare broadly beyond your specialisation.
Is there a separate UGC NET paper for Theatre/Drama versus Dance?
Yes. Dance (Code 61) and Drama/Theatre (Code 62) are separate subject codes in UGC NET. You choose the one matching your PG degree. The syllabus above covers theory common to both, but questions in each paper focus on the respective discipline.
Which Indian theatre form is most prominent in UGC NET questions?
Sanskrit drama and its major playwrights (Kalidasa, Bhasa, Shudraka) are heavily featured. Modern Indian theatre directors (Habib Tanvir, Girish Karnad, Vijay Tendulkar), IPTA history, and folk theatre forms (Nautanki, Jatra, Tamasha) also regularly appear.
