Founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray, the award-winning Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) presents traditional and contemporary women's dances from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, China and the Caucasus. Their pioneering performances offer a unique glimpse of the life and art of little known cultures, especially the Islamic world. Silk Road Dance Company has performed internationally in Uzbekistan, Qatar Singapore, UK, and Canada; nationally they have performed in the states of California, Texas, Colorado, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The ensemble has danced at some of the most prestigious venues in the Washington DC area, including the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress. Silk Road Dance Company has performed for Empress Farah Pahlavi and HM Queen Rania of Jordan; SRDC has also been featured at events for the Embassies of Albania, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Montenegro, Pakistan, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. They are often engaged by cultural organizations in the Iranian, Afghan, Turkish, Arab and Central Asian communities.
With an impressive repertoire of more than 200 dances, Silk Road Dance Company offers programs with a depth and breadth reflecting decades of field research and study by Dr. Gray who has received many awards for her life-time of creative work. Company dancers have also studied and traveled extensively throughout the East, mastering many dance styles.
Silk Road Dance Company has given performances internationally in Uzbekistan, Qatar, Singapore. UK and Canada. As individuals, they have performed in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Australia, Thailand, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. World travelers, they have been to Iran, India, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, UAE, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Brunei, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Columbia, Tanzania, Namibia, Ghana, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa, Indonesia and New Zealand.
Silk Road Dance Company enchants audiences with beautiful and inspiring productions. Dressed in breath-taking costumes, the ensemble performs Afghani, Algerian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Baluchi, Bollywood, Classical Persian, Crimean Tatar, Chinese, Egyptian, Georgian, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Moroccan, Qashqai, Russian Romani (“Gypsy”), Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, and Uighur dances.
Some rare pieces are part of the company's Legacy Repertiore, dances that are seldom now performed in the countries of origin. People's Artists of Uzbekistan Qizlarhon Dusmuhamedova and Qadir Muminov have passed on a precious legacy of Central Asian dances to SRDC. Other collaborators include Egyptian choreographer Momo Kadous, North African dance ethnologist Amel Tafsout, violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yusif Gasimov, Turkic dance specialist Mujgan Ergil, Chinese dance expert Ling Tang and Iranian choreographer Leili Tajadod.