Earth In Flower: The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama

An extraordinary analysis of Southeast Asia� most esoteric female performing art: the ancient Cambodian ballet. A wartime twist of fate made the author one of the only Westerners in history to gain full access to the formerly sequestered troupe of royal dancers, their teachers, theater, and archives. Over the past millennium, these women were goddesses, priestesses, queens, concubines, hostages, and diplomats. Earth in Flower reveals the complete details of their tradition for the first time.