The author traces geophysical, climatic, racial and social factors, historically and in the present, as well as migration patterns, religious attitudes, national dress, the Influence of other arts, and other factors that contributed to the specific dance forms of each people, showing how they reveal a people's origins character, customs, lives and traditions. In Part 1, separate chapters discuss the development of dance, noting the links between peoples, the development of dance patterns and specific steps, climatic and geographical influences, and costume and its influence. In Part 11, national dance characteristics are analyzed. Detailed instructions with musical scores are given for characteristic dances of each group. Maps show the movements of peoples in the first millenium A.D. and their present distribution.
Plates illustrate basic costume forms.
This book Is not available in the British Commonwealth.