We like to think that stereotypes about 'the dance,' 'dancers,' and 'dancing' are not as prevalent as they were in the 19th century, but is this true? Theories of the dance_unlike sport, signing, martial arts, and rituals_are trivialized and vitiated by an astonishing number of outdated ideas. This book aims to clear some of the intellectual underbrush that tends to accumulate in neglected fields of academic study, and it will be especially useful to people who are interested in the anthropology of the dance and human movement.