
Anna Morcom should
have our thanks for introducing us to a neglected, buried, and forgotten
landscape of dance and dancers of the Hindi belt. They belong to a conceptually
illegitimate ring of performance in terms of India’s socio-cultural norms and,
unlike those that the classical and folk dancers adorn as they proudly cross
the stage, their anklets are not objects of reverence.
She is referring to
performers of courtesan and court performing heritage, recognised today as bar
girls,