Central Asia

Central Asian

Afghani

Sweet, feminine gestures and a compelling rhythm characterize this dance selection.

Choreography: People’s Artist of Uzbekistan,
Viktoria 'Violat'Akilova

Boi Boi

In this playful piece from the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan, the dancers wear bells on their wrists to emphasize the rhythmic movements of their hands.

Choreography: People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Qizlarhon Dusmuhamedova

Costume Design: Laurel Victoria Gray

Chinese Princess of the Sandalwood Pavilion

from the concert work Haft Paykar: Seven Beauties

In sandalwood lies the soul’s ease;
its odor doth the spirit please.
Nizami, Haft Paykar

Choreography and costume design: Laurel Victoria Gray

Cry of the Heart

Inspired by the Sufi ritual of zikr, or remembrance, this choreography draws on gestures from many different cultures of the East which reflect the heart's innermost yearnings. It also depicts the plight of millions of women who, unseen, have no political voice.

Choreography: Laurel Victoria Gray
Costume design: Laurel Victoria Gray, Elaine Lamirande and Cindy Connelly Ryan
Music: Steven Flynn

Darya Toshkin

''The river is flooding,'' says the singer, referring to his overflowing emotions. He praises the beauty of his beloved and imagines her in a colorful silk dress. The style of the piece is in the lyrical Ferghana Uzbek genre.

Choreography: Laurel Victoria Gray

Everyone Has a Beloved

Throughout the lands traversed by the Silk Road, poetry is an honored and revered art. When verses are set to music, the dancer must embody the inner sentiments. For this setting of a Hafez poem, the costuming and dance vocabulary are unique to Bukhara, matching the compelling rhythm patterns of the introduction and the rolling 6/8 cadence of the song itself. In Bukharan dance, the performer often enters veiled, wearing a characteristic headdress called a peshanaband.

Choreography and Costume Design: Laurel Victoria Gray

Guldasta

A modern classic in the Uzbek dance repertoire, Guldasta means ''a bouquet of flowers.'' It typifies the demanding Bukharan style with acrobatic elements and dazzling spins. This choreography is part of Silk Road Dance Company's Legacy Repertoire.

Choreography: Peoples’ Artist of Uzbekistan,
Isaqar Aqilov, Costume design: Laurel Victoria Gray

Kara Kozim

Set in the energetic Khorezm style, this Uzbek dance has a mischievous flavor. Dancers wear bells on their wrists to accent the precise movements of the hands.

Choreography taught to SRDC by People's Artist of Uzbekistan, Qizlarhon Dusmuhamedova.

Katta Oyin

This famous classical dance of Samarkand was included in the repertoire of the legendary Bakhor Ensemble of Uzbekistan. It is performed solely to complex dance rhythms. Katta Oyin means “grand dance.” This choreography is part of Silk Road Dance Company's Legacy Repertoire.

Choreography: Muharram Turganbaev

Keling Gular

Keling Gular means 'come, rose-like maidens.'
Dancers accent their movements in this playful Bukharan folklore piece by striking saucers with finger thimbles.

Choreography: People's Artist of Uzbekistan,
Viktoria 'Violat' Akilova

Kungil Taronasi

The dancers of the region of what is today Uzbekistan were once so admired that the Chinese Emperor brought them to his court. This admired dance tradition revived in the 20th century with the founding of the celebrated Bakhor Ensemble. A classic piece from their repertoire, this dance combines lyricism with the technically demanding spins for which Uzbek dance is famous.

Choreography: People's Artist of Uzbekistan,
Mukarram Turganbaeyeva
Costume Design based on Bakhor Ensemble.

Muhabbat

The song lyrics to this Afghani dance express a sense of longing. While the girl must remain home behind closed doors, her beloved is free to roam the world.

Choreography: People’s Artist of Uzbekistan
Isaqar Aquilov

Munojat

Munojat is a lament to God. It is also the title of poem by the 15th century poet, Alisher Navoi. The dance itself, set to classical Uzbek music, can be interpreted on two levels. One is the story of a young woman who is forbidden to marry the man she loves. She prays for deliverance form this situation and, in her despair, hallucinates, thinking she sees her beloved before her. She dances joyously only to realize that the apparition is an illusion. On a spiritual plane, Munadzhat is an allegory symbolizing the soul’s yearning for union with the Divine.

Choreography: Peoples’ Artist of Uzbekistan, Isaqar Aqilov

Pilla

This charming piece, performed to the rhythm of the Uzbek frame drum (doire), depicts the work of women who create silk. First, they feed the silkworms tender mulberry leaves. Later they spin thread, weave fabric, and embroider scarves.

Choreography: Tamara Khanum, People’s Artist of the USSR, and Ustad Olim.

Samarkand Ushori

This piece features the elegant, regal poses which typify classical Uzbek dance. The music is a setting for Farsi poetry by Zebunnisa, a grand-daughter of Tamerlane, and is performed by Zuleikho Baikhonova. This dance was gifted to the Silk Road Dance Company by People's Artist of Uzbekistan, Kizlarkhon Dustmukhamedova, who is the Artistic Director of Ensemble Munojat.

Choreography: Kunduz Mukarimova, People’s Artist of Uzbekistan

Tulips of Tajikistan

Even as winter approaches, the promise of rebirth and renewal awaits in the spring. In Tajikistan, wild tulips cover the hillsides in spring and the word ''lola,'' meaning tulip, is a popular girl's name. This dance was inspired by Tajik dancers who worked with Silk Road Dance Company in Samarkand in 2005. We offer it as a joyous gift of hope.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Choreography and costumes: Laurel Victoria Gray

Uighur Dance Gulyarxon

This piece embodies the vigor and delicacy of Uyghur dance. The Uyghurs are a Turkic people with a rich, ancient culture; they were a force to be reckoned with in the days of the ancient Silk Road. Uyghurs are currently found throughout Western China, Mongolia, and Central Asia. Wang Yen De, the Chinese ambassador in the Karakhoja Uyghur Kingdom in 981-984, praised their civilization and the beauty of their arts, crafts, and architecture.

Choreography: Laurel Victoria Gray

Waltz Bakhor (Uzbek)

This dance is based on the famous signature piece of Uzbekistan’s “Bakhor” Ensemble. Originally choreographed for 25 dancers, this opening choreography celebrates the beauty of Spring.

Costume Design and Stage Adaptation:
Laurel Victoria Gray

Photo Credit: John G. Walter

Kush Depti: Turkmen Dance

The Turkmen people maintain a proud nomadic heritage and a superior repution as horse breeders and artisans. Their carpets, metalwork, and embroidered garments have long been prized by collectors world-wide. Here two groups of girls meet and show off their weaving skills, lovely long braids, and glittering jewlery; many of the dance movements are drawn from daily gestures of nomadic life, including playing music, weaving, spinning yarn, and weaving.