ance is the most perishable form of art. It is not possible to preserve it in textbooks or learned volumes. Yet Bharatanatyam the most ancient of the Indian performing arts has not only survived but has also preserved something of its ancient origins.

Lakshmi Viswanathan has delved deep into the ethnic roots of the art. She establishes that dance was a way of life with the ancient Tamils, and their dances had a distinct style of their own. The Natya sastra itself acknowledges the dance forms of the Southern region. Like all great art forms, the Dravidian art has evolved into what is known as Bharatanatyam today by successfully absorbing the later Aryan influences, and adapting itself to the fast-changing cultural history of the region. Still, it has managed to retain an essential Southern flavor.