Laurel Victoria Gray, widely regarded as the pioneer of Uzbek dance in America, is among the international guests attending the 3rd «Lazgi» International Dance Festival in Khiva, Uzbekistan, which opened this week in the ancient walled city of Ichan-qal’a.
The festival drew dance representatives from across the globe alongside UNESCO experts, diplomats, and scholars. A message from Uzbekistan’s Head of State was read at the opening ceremony, noting that the Lazgi dance carries a three-thousand-year history and stands as a masterpiece of art embodying the spirit of the Uzbek people and the dialogue between civilizations.
Gray, an adjunct professor at George Washington University and founder of the award-winning Silk Road Dance Company, had a wry observation for friends back home.
«We had to pass through four security gates to enter the Lazgi Festival Grand Opening!» she wrote on Facebook — a remark that landed with particular resonance given that, back in Washington, a suspect had just been charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner the previous Saturday.
Gray has traveled to Uzbekistan over a dozen times and received an honorary doctorate from its Ministry of Culture in 2007. Her presence at Lazgi reflects the deep cultural bridges she has spent four decades building between American audiences and the dance traditions of the Silk Road.
By Erin Levi