ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the relationship between superpower politics and East–West artistic interaction is 'cultural diplomacy'. It presents examples from the fields of music and dance, two art forms that were at the forefront of cultural exchange and purportedly experienced the greatest number of cultural exchange projects between the blocs. The book shows that the Soviet approach to ideological differences in the arts was quite different under Stalin than it became by the late 1950s. It discusses theatre and dance and their role in Cold War era art diplomacy. The book underlines the problems and restrictions that existed during the early Cold War, and also the role of images and imagination as key elements influencing cultural diplomacy. It examines points of contact between Eastern and Western film-making around the Baltic Sea.
