Women's Dance Traditions of Uzbekistan - (Dance in the 21st Century) by Laurel Victoria Gray (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The first comprehensive work in English on the three major regional styles of Uzbek women's dance - Ferghana, Khiva and Bukhara - and their broader Silk Road cultural connections, from folklore roots to contemporary stage dance. The book surveys the remarkable development from the earliest manifestations in ancient civilizations to a sequestered existence under Islam; from patronage under Soviet power to a place of pride for Uzbek nationhood. It considers the role that immigration had to play on the development of the dances; how women boldly challenged societal gender roles to perform in public; how both material culture and the natural world manifest in the dance; and it illuminates the innovations of pioneering choreographers who drew from Central Asian folk traditions, gestures and aesthetics - not Russian ballet - to first shape modern Uzbek stage dance. Written by the first American dancer invited to study in Uzbekistan, this book offers insight into the once-hidden world of Uzbek women's dance"--

Book Synopsis

The first comprehensive work in English on the three major regional styles of Uzbek women's dance -
Ferghana, Khiva and Bukhara - and their broader Silk Road cultural connections, from folklore roots
to contemporary stage dance.

The book surveys the remarkable development from the earliest manifestations in ancient civilizations
to a sequestered existence under Islam; from patronage under Soviet power to a place of pride for Uzbek nationhood.

It considers the role that immigration had to play on the development of the dances; how women boldly challenged societal gender roles to perform in public; how both material culture and the natural world manifest in the dance; and it illuminates the innovations of pioneering choreographers who drew from Central Asian folk traditions, gestures and aesthetics - not Russian ballet - to first shape modern Uzbek stage dance.

Written by the first American dancer invited to study in Uzbekistan, this book offers insight into the once-hidden world of Uzbek women's dance.

Review Quotes

"Author, Laurel Victoria Gray, through her ground-breaking book, Women's Dance Traditions of Uzbekistan, reveals a comprehensive and fearless probe into the little-known passion and courage of women of Uzbekistan. Gray, a brilliant teacher, colleague and world-class cultural scholar at George Washington University, Washington, DC, delivers enormous insight into the often closed-door worlds of women along the Silk Road." --Maida Withers, Professor of Dance, George Washington University, USA

"The first comprehensive book on Uzbek dance, its history and geography ... The book's unique features and scholarly merit make it a standout contribution to the field, placing it firmly in the "must-read" category ... This long-awaited publication...deserves high recognition." --Dr Razia Sultanova, University of Cambridge, UK

"Beautifully situates Uzbekistan at the crossroads of many influences, whether from the Silk Road, Moscow or Paris ... It will spread the story of the Uzbek national dance that Gray has herself both experienced and studied for several decades." --Central Asian Survey

"This book contributes significantly to the emerging field of Uzbek dance ... It aptly performs the rich diversity of Uzbekistan's landscape by illustrating the complexity of its people and dances." --Dance Chronicle

About the Author

Laurel Victoria Gray is Professor of World Dance at George Washington University, US, and past Adjunct Professor of Dance of the Islamic World at George Mason University, US. In 2007, she was named Honorary Professor at the Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She has been the founding artistic director and choreographer for Silk Road Dance Company in Washington DC, US, since 1995.