3 Review(s)

In Courtesans, Bar Girls and Dancing Boys, Anna Morcom writes about female performance dancers in India throughout history. Summary of the Book Until the 1930s, the performance arts were forbidden to women. Those few who ventured onto the stage were perceived as courtesans, dancing girls and harlots. They often lived beyond their marriage, leading secret lives while being powerful figures on the social and cultural scene. Female roles were given to young boys who were nothing more than female impersonators. Some braver souls gave the roles to transgender individuals. In this book, Anna Morcom tells the story of the female performance artist and the stigma associated with them throughout the 20th century. About Anna Morcom Anna Morcom is an English academic and the Senior Lecturer in the Music Department at Royal Holloway, University of London. She has spent several years researching music and dance in India and Tibet. She has also written Hindi Film Songs and the Cinema and Unity and Discord: Music and Politics in Contemporary Tibet.