World Dance Cultures: From Ritual To Spectacle
Tags: Patricia Beamann

From healing, fertility and religious rituals, through theatrical entertainment, to death ceremonies and ancestor worship, World Dance Cultures introduces an extraordinary variety of dance forms practiced around the world. Organised both by region and by historical, political and religious issues, this volume is divided into 8 sections, complemented by over 100 full-colour images: India: devotion, dance, mythology Bali and Java: from temple, to village, to court Cambodia and China: dance as a political tool Japan: entertaining samurai, merchants, and rebels Hawai'i, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea: keepers of culture Africa: fertility festivals, death ceremonies, and ancestor worship North Africa, Turkey, and Spain: healing, worship, expression Native America, the Caribbean, South America: activism, spirituality, spectacle Each section contains key points and trends discussion questions historical documentation and anthropological accounts of dance forms and first-hand accounts from practitioners, along with suggestions for further reading and viewing. Offering a comprehensive overview of each dance form covered, World Dance Cultures is an essential introductory resource for students and instructors alike.