Asian Dance introduces readers to the rich variety of dance traditions of India, Thailand, Java, Bali, China, and Japan. From the profound impact Hindu deities had on dance in India and later in Southeast Asia thousands of years ago to the 20th-century development of Butoh in Japan, dance has been a means for people to express themselves religiously, culturally, and socially in celebration. In learning about the varied Asian dances across the world's largest continent, readers will discover how the art form is an essential way for Asians to express themselves and their history.