Central Asian, Arabic, and Persian Dance Art of Laurel Victoria Gray

<body> <h2><font PTSIZE="10" face="arial,helvetica">Laurel Victoria Gray, Performing Artist, Scholar, Persian Dance Choreographer </font></h2> <p><a href="main.asp">Belly Dance Table Of Contents</a></p> <h2>LAUREL VICTORIA GRAY</h2> <h3>"Enlightenment through Dance" TM</h3> <p>An award-winning dancer, scholar, instructor, and choreographer, Laurel Victoria Gray is a cultural diplomat [internal link to Article on my bio page by Anne Apynys.  She has dedicated her life to the presentation and preservation of traditional dance culture of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. Her special focus is the women's dance from the Islamic World. She believes that the grace, joy, and spirituality of traditional dances are not only world treasures revealing the true soul of a culture but also pathways to healing and enlightenment for the individual as well.<br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray is the recipient of the 2006 Metro DC Dance Award <a href="http://www.mdcda.org/awards/nominees.php"> http://www.mdcda.org/awards/nominees.php</a>  for Excellence in Costume Design and the 2005 Distinguished Service Award from the Embassy of Uzbekistan. In the 2003, her concert work inspired by Ancient Egyptian dance, Egypta: Myth, Magic, and Mystery <a href="http://www.egypta.com"> www.egypta.com</a> , won the Kennedy Center Local Dance Commissioning Project Award. She has also been awarded the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Awards for Best Choreographer (2003) and Best Ethnic Dancer (1999). She is a four time finalist for the Metro DC Dance Awards. <br> <br> Gray is the Artistic Director of both the Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC)  <a href="http://www.silkroaddance.com">www.silkroaddance.com</a>  a Joy of Motion Company-in-Residence, and Ensemble Mumtaz, a student ensemble. The Silk Road Dance Company is the winner of the IAMED award for Best Dance Company (2003). In 2005, SRDC was the first American dance company to perform at the UNESCO-sponsored Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) International Festival in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. <br> <br> In 1984, Gray founded the Uzbek Dance and Culture Society <a href="http://www.uzbekdance.org">www.uzbekdance.org</a>  and in 1994 , together with Travis Jarrell, established the annual Central Asian Dance Camp. Gray has traveled to Uzbekistan eleven times, living there for two years at the invitation of Tashkent's State Academic Bolshoi Theater and appearing on television dance programs over a dozen times. She was a member of the jury for the 1997 Sharq Taronalari Festival and for the 1993 Uzbekistan Puppet Theater Festival.<br> <br> In March 2006, Laurel Victoria Gray was invited to Azerbaijan by that country’s government to participate as a guest in a World Congress of the Azerbaijani Diaspora. She has studied Egyptian folklore in Cairo, publishing her research on the <a href="listpage.asp?Category=Articles">Egyptian dervish Tanoura</a> <br> <br> Gray's scholarly articles have appeared in many publications including the Oxford University Press International Encyclopedia of Dance, the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater and the Encyclopedia of Modern Asia and Dance Magazine as well as journals in Germany and Australia. Her article in the Encyclopedia of Women in Islamic Culture will be published in 2007.She has lectured for the Middle East Institute, Humanities West, The Embassy of Egypt, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, the First and Second International Conferences on Middle Eastern dance as well as the 2006 Inaugural Conference on Near and Middle Eastern Dance held at Connecticut College.<br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray's performances include Warner Bros International, the National Press Club, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, the Secret Service, the State Department, the Uzbek Embassy (for President Islam Karimov), the Russian Embassy, museums, universities and numerous Iranian, Egyptian, and Turkish organizations. She has been a guest instructor at all the major Middle Eastern dance camps and retreats held annually in the United States. She was an education outreach instructor for New York's City Center Theater in 1990, introducing thousands of students to Georgian dance. For several years she gave instruction in Persian dance at the Iranian Community School in Vienna, Virginia. She recently presented a workshop at the American College Dance Festival. <br> <br> As an instructor, Laurel Victoria Gray has inspired thousands of students, both amateur and professional, giving workshops and concerts throughout Europe, Central Asia, Australia, the United States and Canada. Although her early dance training included ballet, tap, folk and modern dance, she first discovered Middle Eastern folk music and dance in high school. In 1975, she began formal lessons in Arabic dance. She continued lessons in various Middle Eastern dance forms along with her academic studies. Her teachers include leading experts such as Qizlarhon Dustmuhamedova, Viktoria Akilova, Galia Ismailova, Tamara Khanum, Kadir Muminov, Yusuf Qasimov, Mahmoud Reda, Ahmed Jarjour, Ercument Kilic, Mujgan Ergil, Shamiran Urshan, Madame Nellie Mazloum, Nadia Hamdi and others. <br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray offers 12 - 14 weekly <a href="listpage.asp?Category=Classes">Middle Eastern dance classes</a> at numerous locations throughout the Metro Washington, DC area. She also teaches "<a href="listpage.asp?Category=Classes">Dances of the Islamic World</a>" and "Dances of Egypt" as Adjunct Faculty at George Mason University and George Washington University. <br> <br> A creative and prolific choreographic, Laurel Victoria Gray produces major new concert works with her Silk Road Dance Company. Recent works inlcude, Haft Paykar: Seven Beauties (2005), a folkloric ballet based on a 12th century poem by Nizami Gajavi and The Golden Road to Samarkand (2006),a timeless journey in dance to the heart of Central Asia.<br> <br> Video footage from several of the Silk Road Dance Company's concerts can be viewed at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage archives<br> <br> <a href="http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=SILKRDANCE"> http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=SILKRDANCE</a> </p> <p> </p> <hr size="1"> <p>Laurel Victoria Gray <br> Click on link below to read the Habibi cover story on Laurel Victoria Gray<br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray is the recipient of the Kennedy Centers 2003 Local Dance Commissioning Project Award and the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Awards for Best Choregrapher (2003) and Best Ethnic Dancer (1999). Laurel Victoria Gray is the Artistic Director of both the Silk Road Dance Company -- winner of the IAMED award for Best Dance Company (2003) and Joy of Motion Company-in-Residence. Laurel Victoria Gray is a finalist for the 2004 Metro DC Dance Award for "Excellence in Costume Design."<br> <br> An internationally acclaimed dancer, scholar, instructor, and choreographer, Laurel Victoria Gray’s research has taken her to five continents. She has inspired thousands of students, both amateur and professional, giving workshops and concerts throughout Europe, Central Asia, Australia, the United States and Canada. Although her early dance training included ballet, tap, folk and modern dance, Laurel Victoria Gray first discovered Middle Eastern folk music and dance in high school. In 1975, she began formal lessons in Arabic dance. Laurel Victoria Gray continued lessons in various Middle Eastern dance forms along with her academic studies. Her teachers include leading experts such as Qizlarhon Dustmuhamedova, Viktoria Akilova, Galia Ismailova, Tamara Khanum, Kadir Muminov, Mahmoud Reda, Ahmed Jarjour, Ercument Kilic, Shamiran Urshan, Madame Nellie Mazloum, Nadia Hamdi and others. <br> <br> While enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Washington, Laurel Victoria Gray assisted in hosting a delegation of dancers from Uzbekistan and first became exposed to this rare, intricate form. She has traveled to Uzbekistan ten times, living there for two years at the invitation of Tashkent's State Academic Bolshoi Theater and appearing on television dance programs over a dozen times. Laurel Victoria Gray was a member of the jury for the 1997 UNESCO sponsored International Music Festival Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) that was held in Samarkand and for the 1993 Uzbekistan Puppet Theater Festival. She studied Egyptian folklore in Cairo. <br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray's scholarly articles have appeared in many publications including the Oxford University Press International Encyclopedia of Dance, the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater and the Encyclopedia of Modern Asia and Dance magazine as well as journals in Germany and Australia. Laurel Victoria Gray has lectured for the Middle East Institute, Humanities West, the Egyptian Embassy and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. Her performances include Warner Bros International, the National Press Club, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, the State Department, the Uzbek Embassy (for President Islam Karimov), the Russian Embassy, museums, universities and numerous Iranian, Egyptian, and Turkish organizations. Laurel Victoria Gray has been a guest instructor at all the major Middle Eastern dance camps and retreats held annually in the United States. She was an education outreach instructor for New York's City Center Theater in 1990, introducing thousands of students to Georgian dance. For several years Laurel Victoria Gray gave instruction in Persian dance at the Iranian Community School in Vienna, Virginia. She recently presented a workshop at the American College Dance Festival. <br> <br> In 1984, Laurel Victoria Gray founded the Uzbek Dance and Culture Society and in 1994 established the annual Central Asian Dance Camp. She teaches "Dances of the Islamic World" and "Dances of Egypt" as Adjunct Faculty at George Mason University and George Washington University. In 2004, she taught at the American College Dance Festival and the Mendocino Middle East Music and Dance Camp.</p> <hr> <p>LAUREL VICTORIA GRAY<br> "Enlightenment through Dance" TM<br> <br> An award-winning dancer, scholar, educator, and choreographer, Laurel Victoria Gray is "the pioneer of Uzbek dance in America." Her efforts to preserve and present traditional Central Asian and Persian dance make her a true cultural diplomat [internal link to Article on my bio page by Anne Apynys]. <br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray is the recipient of the 2006 Metro DC Dance Award [http://www.mdcda.org/awards/nominees.php] for Excellence in Costume Design and the 2005 Distinguished Service Award from the Embassy of Uzbekistan. In the 2003, her ancient Egyptian dance work, Egypta: Myth, Magic, and Mystery[www.egypta.com] , won the Kennedy Center Local Dance Commissioning Project Award. She has also been awarded the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Awards for Best Choreographer (2003) and Best Ethnic Dancer (1999);some of her Azerbaijani,Russian Roma (Gypsy), Georgian and Persian dance choreographies have been archived on the IAMED concert videos. Gray is a four time finalist for the Metro DC Dance Awards. <br> <br> <br> <br> Gray is the Artistic Director of both the Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) [www.silkroaddance.com] a Joy of Motion Company-in-Residence, which specializes in Central Asian,Turkic,Arabic and Persian dance. The Silk Road Dance Company is the winner of the IAMED award for Best Dance Company (2003). In 2005, SRDC was the first American dance company to perform at the UNESCO-sponsored Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) International Festival in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Gray also directs Ensemble Mumtaz, a student ensemble which focuses more on Egyptian dance, <br> <br> <br> <br> In 1984, Gray founded the Uzbek Dance and Culture Society [www.uzbekdance.org] and in 1994, established the annual Central Asian Dance Camp. Gray has traveled to Uzbekistan eleven times, living there for two years at the invitation of Tashkent's State Academic Bolshoi Theater and appearing on television dance programs over a dozen times. She was a member of the jury for the 1997 Sharq Taronalari Festival and for the 1993 Uzbekistan Puppet Theater Festival.<br> <br> <br> <br> In March 2006, Laurel Victoria Gray was invited to Azerbaijan by that country’s government to participate as a guest in a World Congress of the Azerbaijani Diaspora. The trip allowed her to deepen her knowledge of Azerbaijani dance. Gray has studied Egyptian ritual dance in Cairo, publishing her research on the Egyptian dervish Tanoura [internal link to this on my "articles" page]<br> <br> <br> <br> Gray's scholarly articles on Central Asian dance and culture have appeared in many publications including the Oxford University Press International Encyclopedia of Dance, the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater and the Encyclopedia of Modern Asia and Dance Magazine as well as journals in Germany and Australia. Her article in the Encyclopedia of Women in Islamic Culture will be published in 2007. She has often lectured on Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Persian dance and culture,including presentations for the Middle East Institute, Humanities West, The Embassy of Egypt, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, the First and Second International Conferences on Middle Eastern dance as well as the 2006 Inaugural Conference on Near and Middle Eastern Dance held at Connecticut College.<br> <br> <br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray's performances of Uzbek, Arabic, Roma (Gypsy) and Persian dance have graced Warner Bros International, the National Press Club, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, the Secret Service, the State Department, the Uzbek Embassy (for President Islam Karimov), the Russian Embassy, museums, universities and numerous Iranian, Egyptian, and Turkish organizations. She has been a guest instructor in Uzbek and Persian dance at all the major,long established Middle Eastern dance camps and retreats held annually in the United States. Gray was an education outreach instructor for New York's City Center Theater in 1990, introducing thousands of students to Georgian dance. For several years she gave instruction in Persian dance at the Iranian Community School in Vienna, Virginia. She recently presented a workshop at the American College Dance Festival. <br> <br> As an instructor, Laurel Victoria Gray has inspired thousands of students, both amateur and professional, giving workshops and concerts in Central Asian and Persian dance throughout Europe, Central Asia, Australia, the United States and Canada. Although her early dance training included ballet, tap, folk and modern dance, she first discovered Middle Eastern folk music and dance in high school. In 1975, she began formal lessons in Arabic dance. She continued lessons in various Persian dance with Shamiran Urshan along with her academic studies. Her teachers include leading experts such as Qizlarhon Dustmuhamedova, Viktoria Akilova, Galia Ismailova, Tamara Khanum, Kadir Muminov, Yusuf Qasimov, Mahmoud Reda, Ahmed Jarjour, Ercument Kilic, Mujgan Ergil, Shamiran Urshan, Madame Nellie Mazloum, Nadia Hamdi and others. <br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray offers 12 - 14 weekly Arabic and Persian dance classes [internal link to my "classes"page] at numerous locations throughout the Metro Washington, DC area. She also teaches "Dances of the Islamic World" and "Dances of Egypt" as Adjunct Faculty at George Mason University and George Washington University. <br> <br> A creative and prolific choreographic, Laurel Victoria Gray produces major new concert works with her Silk Road Dance Company. Recent works include, Haft Paykar: Seven Beauties (2005), a folkloric ballet with Indian, Turkic, Chinese, Arabic and Persian dance sequences;it is based on a 12th century poem by Nizami Gajavi. Most recently she premiered The Golden Road to Samarkand (2006). which uses Turkic,Indian,and Persian dance to pay tribute to the diversity of cultures that created the glory of Samarkand.<br> <br> Video footage from several of the Silk Road Dance Company's concerts-- including Uzbek and Persian dance -- can be viewed at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage archives<br> <br> <a href="http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=SILKRDANCE"> http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=SILKRDANCE</a> <br>  </p> <hr> <p> </p> <p>Laurel Victoria Gray studied Russian Rom (Gypsy) dance in the former USSR. One of her teachers was a former member of the famous Romen Gypsy Theatre of Moscow. This photograph was taken in Germany. </p> <p><font size="4"><b>Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival </b> </font><font size="2"><br> <i>Samarkand, Uzbekistan August 30,1997<br> <br> The first Sharq Taronalari ("Melodies of the East") International Music Festival, sponsored in part by UNESCO, was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 1997. The festival<br> featured world class musicians from over 30 nations of the East. Laurel Victoria Gray was a member of the jury for this historic event.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Egyptian Folklore Dance </b></font><font size="2"><br> <i>This coin embellished dress is worn for Egyptian folkore dance. (The veil is not used.) This photograph was taken at the Joy of Motion Dance Center in Washington, DC.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>At the Middle East Institute </b></font><font size="2"> <br> <i>with Uzbek Ambassador Faizulbekov in 1995, after "Splendors of the Silk Road" lecture and fashion show by Laurel Victoria Gray, which featured 20 models wearing her collection of traditional costumes and jewelry from various Silk Road cultures.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Ferghana Uzbek Dance </b></font><font size="2"><br> <i>This photograph was taken in Minnesota, when Laurel Victoria Gray created an Uzbek choreography for the celebrated Ethnic Dance Theatre.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Khorezm Uzbek Dance in Tashkent Concert </b></font> <font size="2"><br> <i>Photo credit: Vladimir Kovrin<br> <br> On December 19, 1993, I presented a concert at the Abror Hidoyatov Theater in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, thanks to help from many friends and the kindness of reknowned director Bakhtiar Yuldahsev. In addition to performing ten dances in different Eastern genres, I set choreographies for student and professional dancers. In the Khorezm piece, I was joined by talented students from the Theatrical Institute.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Persian Classical Dance in Albuqerque </b></font> <font size="2"><br> <i>"Spring Rain in the Rose Garden" was performed by Travis Jarrell and Laurel Victoria Gray at Amayas annual outdoor dance festival in Albuqurque, New Mexico. By an uncanny coincidence the dance was preceeded by an unexpected downpour. The skies cleared just in time for the two dancers to perform this piece choreographed by Laurel to depict two Persian ladies who, while enjoying the beauty of a garden, get caught in a sudden spring rain.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Persian Dance in Maui </b></font><font size="2"><br> <i>Laurel Victoria Gray taught Persian Classial Dance at Delilahs 1998 Visionary Dance Retreat in Maui, Hawaii. Emphasizing the deep connection between Nature and Persian dance movements and gestures, Laurel took her students out of the studio into a lush garden setting. Participants had the opportunity to wear costume pieces furnished by Laurel, dancing to live music performed on the "nay" by Sulaiman.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Tamara Khanum and Laurel Victoria Gray </b></font> <font size="2"><br> <i>The legendary Tamara Khanum risked her life to dance unveiled in the Uzbekistan of the 1920s. She greatly encouraged Laurel in her study of Uzbek dance.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Uzbek Classical Dance </b></font><font size="2"><br> <i>This photograph was taken by Dale Blindheim after a performance by Laurel Victoria Gray at a gathering of the Seattle Tashkent Sister City Committee. Ms. Gray was active in this committee when she lived in Seattle and served as a Board Member.</i></font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Uzbek Dance in the Registan </b></font><font size="2"> <br> Samakand, Uzbekistan 1985<br> <br> Laurel Victoria Gray visited Uzbekistan in 1985 --her third trip --at the invitation of the Uzbek "Vatan" Society for Cultural Ties with Countrymen Living Abroad. </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Uzbek Dance Rehearsal 1993 </b></font><font size="2"> <br> In 1993, Uzbekistan celebrated the first anniversary of independence with momentous festival in Tashkent, Uzbekistan that featured music, dance, poetry, along with tanks, rifle drill teams, and parachuters. Laurel Victoria Gray was the first foreign dancer to be allowed to dance in official celebrations in independent Uzbekistan. </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Laurel Victoria Gray </b></font><font size="2"><br> <i>Photo credit: Diplomatic Photography by Albert<br> <br> President Karimov visited Washington DC to celebrate the opening of the Embassy of Uzbekistan. Laurel Victoira Gray performed Uzbek dance at this special state dinner and afterwards received a gold embroidered coat from the Uzbek leader.<br> <br> While living in Uzbekistan, Ms. Gray served as the English style editor of the first book by President Karimov.</i> </font></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Yalla Ensemble in Uzbekistan </b></font><font size="2"> <br> Photo Credit: Joanne Young<br> <br> This is a behind-the-scenes picture snapped during a long photo shoot for the CD cover of "Beard of the Camel" by Uzbekistans celebrated Yalla Ensemble. We were all waiting for the weather to change so the "star" of the shoot, Tobol the Camel, could be ridden over to the site from the Tashkent Zoo. </font></p> <p><font size="2">Afghani <br> Choreographed by Peoples Artist of Uzbekistan, Qizlarhon Dustmuhamedova, this dance reflects a sweet and playful femininity. <br> <br> Ancient Egyptian Dance <br> Inspired by a lifetime fascination with Ancient Egypt, Laurel Victoria Gray began in 1995 to create a core group of dances, "Egypta," based on pain   <br> <br> Azerbaijani Dance <br> <br> Graceful and dynamic, the dance of Azerbaijan has long been a favorite genre of Laurel Victoria Gray. Her "Azerbaijani Suite" is a popular   <br> <br> Bollywood! <br> Choreographed in 2003, "Bollywood!" premiered at the 4th Annual Arabian Nights with a cast of nearly 75 dancers. "Bollywood!" pays homage to the fu   <br> <br> Bukharan Uzbek Dance <br> Bukharan dance is one of the three major styles of Uzbek dance. Among the many Bukharan dances in the repertoire of Laurel Victoria Gray is "Jura J   <br> <br> California Tribal <br> Before there was American Tribal (ATS), there was California Tribal in the 1970s, inspired by the legendary Bal Anat dance company directed by Jami   <br> <br> Central Asia: Shamanka <br> Choreography by Laurel Victoria Gray <br> Copyright 2001 by Laurel Victoria Gray <br> <br> In traditional Central Asian culture, the Shamaness serve   <br> <br> Crimean Tatar <br> Crimean Tatar dance soloist Meena met Laurel Victoria Gray in Uzbekistan and taught her these dances in 1992. Meena also arranged for an authentic  <br> <br> Dances of the Islamic World <br> Joined by her award winning Silk Road Dance Company, Laurel Victoria Gray has created a lecture/dance presentation which illustrates the varied and   <br> <br> Egyptian Folklore <br> Egypt possesses an intriguing variety of folk dances including the energetic Saidi style. The beloved cane dance -- or "raqs as-assaya -- represent   <br> <br> FERGHANA UZBEK <br> One of the three major styles of Uzbek dance, the Ferghana genre is the most lyrical. Since 1976, Laurel Victoria Gray has conducted extensive field r   <br> <br> GEORGIAN DANCE <br> Laurel Victoria Gray saw the Georgian State Dance Company as a child and first visited Georgia as a teenager in 1976. The compelling dances and intoxi   <br> <br> GHAWAZEE DANCE <br> Celebrated by Victorian travelers and depicted by Orientalist painters, the Ghawazee occupy a unique niche in the dance world of Egypt. Believed to be   <br> <br> GODDESS DANCE <br> A growing interest in the Divine Feminine has generated choreographic interpretations of ancient Goddess traditions. Laurel Victoria Gray has crafted   <br> <br> GOLDEN AGE EGYPTIAN DANCE <br> The Golden Age of Egyptian Dance reached its culmination in the glorious films of the 1940s and 1950s. Laurel Victoria Gray choreographed "Zaina" to <br> <br> Hand Dance: Cry of the Heart <br> Often imitated, this original workshop and choreography was created in 1997 by Laurel Victoria Gray. It focuses almost entirely on movements of the   <br> <br> Iranian Folkore <br> Rich in regional and tribal dances, Iranian folklore includes pieces like Ghassemabadi, Bandari, Qashqai, and more.... <br> <br> Macedonian Rom ("Gypsy"): Cocek <br> "Cocek" is the energetic and flirtatious Macedonian Rom ("Gypsy") dance. <br> <br> PERSIAN: Parting Ways With the Soul <br> Choreography by Laurel Victoria Gray <br> Copyright 2004 by Laurel Victoria Gray <br> Poetry, in the original Farsi, by Omar Khayyam, provides the i   <br> <br> PERSIAN: Raqs-i-Peri <br> Choreography and costume design: Laurel Victoria Gray <br> Copyright 1999 by Laurel Victoria Gray <br> In Persian folk tales, the "peri" was a beautiful   <br> <br> PERSIAN: Spring Rain in the Rose Garden <br> Choreography and costume design: Laurel Victoria Gray <br> Copyright 1994 by Laurel Victoria Gray <br> In a scene inspired by delicate Persian miniature   <br> <br> Raqs Sharqi <br> As an instructor at the Joy of Motion Dance Center, which has the largest Middle Eastern dance program in the Unites States,<br> Laurel Victoria Gr   <br> <br> Russian Rom ( <br> Laurel Victoria Gray studied Russian Rom ("Gypsy") dance in the former Soviet Union. She has shared her knowledge of this genre in workshops through   <br> <br> Spanish-Arabic Fusion <br> Ever since the 8th century invasion of Spain, Arab and Spanish cultures have comingled. Catherine Spotswood, an ancestor of Laurel Victoria Gray, l   <br> <br> Student Photo Album <br> George Washington University<br> Fall Concert 2003<br> Choreography, "Zaina," by Laurel Victoria Gray. copyright 1999 and 2002. <br> <br> Tadjik <br> Laurel Victoira Gray has studied Tadjik dance in Central Asia with Galia Ismailova, Viktoria Akilova, and Qizlarhon Dustmuhamedova. <br> <br> Turkish Rom ("Gypsy) Dance <br> Set to the dynamic 9/8 karsilama rhythm, Turkish Rom dance also employs unique hand gesturing, <br> <br> Uighur Dance <br> The Uighur people are a Muslim, Turkic people found in Uzbekistan and Western China. Laurel Victoria Gray studied Uighur dance in Central Asia. <br> <br> Vampyre Tango <br> Combining elements from Middle Eastern dance with Tango steps, Laurel Victoria Gray created the unusual Vampyre Tango, an instant hit when it premiered. </font></p> <p><font size="2">Veil Dance <br> While dancing with the veil is not traditional in Arab culture, it has become an important component in contemporary Raqs Sharqi (belly dance). The   <br> <br> Zikr <br> This ritual Sufi dance is practiced throughout different regions of the Islamic world. <br> <br>  </font></p>  <div align="center"> <table border="0" width="735"> <tr> <td class="cellbg" align="center"> <font size="2"><% GetLinkMenu(LinkMenu)%> </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <hr> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"> <p><font size="2">All images & text content copyright 2008</font><br> Laurel Victoria Gray<br> (301) 585-1105</p> <p><a target="_top" href="default.htm">Home</a></p> <p> </p> <p><font size="1" face="Arial"> Copyright 2008<a href="http://www.citysitesusa.com"><br> </a>Website Design by <a href="http://www.dragonwyck.net" target="_blank">Dragonwyck Web Design L.L.C.</a><br><a href="http://www.dragonwyck.net" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.dragonwyck.net/images/dragonwyck-logo.gif" border="0" width="150" height="22" alt="Dragonwyck Web Design"></a><br> If you have questions or comments about this website,<br> please contact the <a href="contact-form.asp">Webmaster</a></font></p> <p> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <a target="_blank" href="http://t.extreme-dm.com/?login=qyzlbosh"> <img src="http://t1.extreme-dm.com/i.gif" height=38 border=0 width=41 alt=""></a><script language="javascript1.2"> </script><script language="javascript"> </script><noscript><img height=1 width=1 alt="" src="http://t0.extreme-dm.com/c.g?tag=qyzlbosh&j=n"></noscript>  </body>