De Zoete planned the book on a journey of dance study in the countries which still retain a background of Hindu culture. She was assisted by Walter Spies who took most of the photographs. Many of the stories of dance-dramas were taken down orally by Spies and are unrecorded elsewhere. Author preface, preface also by Arthur Waley in which he points out ways in which this book contributes something new in the history of human culture.