ABSTRACT
The history of what, until the last decade, was called Indian dance has been a troubled, dramatic and difficult story. If it were a film, it would be a saga. If it were a piece of music, it would be a panoramic symphony with plentiful stretches of percussion and the darker range of strings. This brief survey attempts to dissect the elements that have influenced its passage. Inevitably it has had to simplify, and omit some of the players. It is hoped that anyone who notices this will be generous and appreciate the difficulty of the task.
