From the earliest times dance has been part of every culture. People dance to express their feelings to worship their gods or just to enjoy themselves. Today dance is as important to us as ever whether we are watching a spectacular performance in a theatre celebrating special events in a community or simply exercising at a dance class.This book describes many different dances from around the world: from temple dances in India to samba dances at a carnival in Brazil. It explains the history of ballet and introduces some of the great stars of dance from Nijinsky and Pavlova to Fred Astaire. It shows some of the sumptuous costumes worn by dancers and the many settings for dance from village clearings to lavish film sets.Written by Dr Andree Grau who writes and lectures on dance this is an exciting introduction to the beauty and magic of dance.