The Dancing series studies how various cultures throughout the centuries have used the artistry of dance as a means of self-expression, entertainment, and the control of others. This volume focuses on some of the world's royal courts and the role that dancing has played in helping those in power maintain control. Some believe that dancing still serves this same purpose in the modern form of European ballets and the dancing movements of African Asante kings. Additional segments look at the Javanese Bedoyo and Japan's Bugaku. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi