TRADITIONAL INDIAN THEATRE

The book is a pioneering study of some forms of Indian performing arts which are neither "folk" nor "classical" in the conventional sense of the terms, but belong to a twilight region combining elements of both. Though often widely divergent in character and expression, they nevertheless present an organic cohesiveness and a world-view which, typically as well as traditionally, are Indian. It is this unity of experience which adds a special quality to the present work. The contents include description and analysis of a variety of forms such as Yakṣagana, Bhagavatamelä, Chau, Nautanki, Ramalilä and many others, and cover the whole of India, from Kerala to Uttar Pradesh, from Gujarat to Assam. While presenting them in a desired perspective, the author has not only used evidence from archaeological, textual and oral sources; whatever she says is also the result of a knowledge and comprehension which can be expected only from an artist. An 'Afterword' by the author for the present edition has been added. Dr Kapila Vatsyayan, a classical dancer in her own right, is also one of the eminent theoretical exponents of Indian dance forms. She has been engaged in a systematic study of the performing arts for twenty-five years and among her widely acclaimed publications are Classical Indian Dance in Literature and the Arts and Traditions of Indian Folk Dance. She is a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi and a recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fellowship.