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, and mythology; Bali and Java: from temple, to village, to court; Cambodia and China: dance as a political tool; Japanese noh, kabuki, and butoh: entertaining samurai, merchants, and rebels; Hawai'i, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea: guardians of culture; Africa: fertility festivals, death ceremonies, and ancestor worship; North Africa, Turkey, and Spain: healing, worship, and expression; Native America, the Caribbean, South America: resistance, spirituality, and 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.