The Classical Dance and Costumes of India by Kay Ambrose steers clear of the twin
evils of writing :the learned writing for the learned and the dilettante writing for  others of his class. It treats the four classical school of Indian dance- Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak and Manipuri-with understandin
and objectivity. The reader is provided with a sketch of Indian mythology and music before he is exposed to the dance proper which are presented in such a manner that none will experience any difficulty in
learning the divine and mundane aspects of these schools of dance. The chapter on the costumes of India gives not only idea of  the correct costumes of the particular schools of dance but also of the endless
variety and rich colour of Indian costumes. In addition to classical dances, the reader is given a taste of Indian folk dance and dances of Ceylon.

The technical sketches more than supplement the text. The reader will not only by able to understand the various dance styles but recognize them while witnessing public performance. A few, if they try hard , may be
able even to demonstrate authentic dance style.