ABSTRACT
Mah Laqa Bai (1768–1824) was a courtesan poet, dancer and political advisor in Hyderabad. To ask what remains of a dance when the performance is done shifts the focus from the dancer’s body to her costume, jewelry, instruments, stage, environment, audience and tradition. Through matter like these – including durable material like books and buildings – Mah Laqa Bai left a legacy of thoughts, feelings and commitments that continue to exist when the dance is done.
