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Articles
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Peles Gift
by Laurel Victoria Gray
Magical adventures at the 1999 Visionary Dance Retreat in Maui, Hawaii.
"I know exactly what I want to do for the ritual dance into the sea. I want to be Pele," I told the sponsor . Only later did I realize how audacious was my decision, a decision which launched me on an unusual adventure into another culture.
Click the link above to read the rest of the story...
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A Brief Introduction to Persian Dance
A Brief Introduction to Persian Dance
Copyright 2002 and 2007
by Laurel Victoria Gray
The very antiquity and richness of Persian culture renders the term "Persian dance" both vague and inadequate; it can be applied to a variety of regions, ethnicities and historical periods, making a strict definition difficult. “Persian dance” can range from sophisticated reconstructions of refined court dances to energetic folk dances. The movement vocabulary, costuming, music, demeanor, and context of these dances also varies widely. A brief examination of the genres of “Persian Dance” reveals the abundance of diverse dance styles in the Persian experience.
The Persian nation, known today as Iran, has an ancient heritage and once governed a much larger geographical area than at the present. In 500 BC, the Persian Empire once extended to Egypt and the borders of India. Ancient Greek historians mentioned the dance of the Persians and in one account, Alexander the Great married the Soghdian princess Roxanna after seeing her dance at a banquet.
During different dynasties, various regions and populations fell under Persian hegemony. For example, the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand are in present-day Uzbekistan, but each place has a considerable Tajik speaking population. (Tajik is closely related to the Persian language.)
The population of Iran includes many ethnicities other than the Persians themselves. In addition to numerous Iranian tribal groups, Kurdish, Uzbek, Turkme
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Arabic"Raqs Sharqi" Dance Classes with Laurel Victoria Gray
A WEEKLY DOSE OF EASTERN DANCE
Dancing novices and veterans learn lessons from cool teacher
Thursday, April 13, 2006
by Dennis Carter
Staff Writer
THE GAZETTE
As Laurel Victoria slipped on her worn, pink dancing slippers, the belly-dancing teacher described her students’ motivation with an eloquence of a global traveler well versed in the artform of ‘‘the dance of the East.”
‘‘It’s women’s way of expressing themselves, of letting off steam, of having joy, and they are not judged,” said Victoria, who teaches a dozen weekly classes across the metropolitan area, including one at the College Park Community Center on Thursday evenings. ‘‘It is popular for women at all stages of life because it really is this joyous form of self-expression.”
After a rigorous session April 6, Mary Jo Shapiro said the belly-dancing classes – which work upper body muscles more than many dance forms – have helped her in many ways since she began the classes in September.
‘‘My legs are great, they can do anything,” said Shapiro, of Colmar Manor, a former tap dancer. ‘‘The rest of my body doesn’t move very well. And as I’m getting older ... I wanted something that would really get me moving.”
The class moved to the community center in March after two years at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center – a welcomed change for Victoria and her students.
‘‘These floors are so much better,” Victoria, of Mount Rainier, said of the smooth, wood-grain floors at th
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Dance Publications and Articles
A representative bibliography of recent articles by Laurel Victoria Gray on Uzbek dance, Georgian dance, Central Asian culture, dance criticism, Egyptian dance, dance in the Islamic World and related topics.
ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES
2002 Modern Encyclopedia of Asia
“Dance in Central Asia”
1998 World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater
“Uzbekistan”
1998 Oxford University Press International Encyclopedia of Dance
“Georgia” and “Uzbekistan”
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
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“Wizards and Harlots: The Tainted Status of Musicians and Dancers Within the Islamic Context.” Habibi, Vol. 19, No. 2 , pp. 40 - 45.
"Envisioning the East: Russian Orientalism and the Ballet Russe." Habibi, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 44 - 47.
“Tanoura is Sleeping: Exploring an Ancient Whirling Ritual in Cairo.” Habibi, Vol. 18, No. 2, September 2000.
“Samarkand Adventure: The Sharq Taronalari International Festival,” Part I. Habibi,
Vol. 17, No. 2, Fall, 1998. Part II. Habibi, Vol. 17, No. 3, Summer 1999.
“The Splendor of Uzbek Dance: Bukhara.” Habibi, Vol. 16, No. 3, Fall, 1997.
“Cultivating Professionalism.” Habibi, Volume 16,No.2, Spring, 1997.
“Gypsy in Their Souls: the West Preserves Gypsy Dance Traditions.” Habibi, Vol.15, No. 1, Winter, 1996.
“The Goddess Dances: Womens Da
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Dancing the Silk Road
by Stephen Henkin
The World and I Magazine, July 2002
Extensive article, with photographs, on Laurel Victoria Gray and the Silk Road Dance Company.
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Making Magic: Costumes of the Silk Road Dance Company
by Laurel Victoria Gray
"Where do you get your costumes?"
Without a doubt, this is the most frequently asked question from our audience members. At times it seems as if they expect a simple answer, that the secret of our costuming can be revealed by naming some fabulous theatrical supply company where they, too, could purchase such garments.
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Nizami's SEVEN BEAUTIES: Ancient Wisdom for the New Millennium
by Laurel Victoria Gray
published in
Azerbaijan International Magazine
Spring 2005
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Russian Orientalism and the Ballet Russe
by Laurel Victoria Gray
An exploration of the impact Russian Orientalism on 20th century ballet.
Many of the twentieth century’s notions about Eastern dance came not from the Arab world, but from Russia. The most notable and successful exporter of pseudo-oriental dance was the Ballet Russe, the legendary company that enchanted the world with its portrayals of forbidden harems and provocative temptresses.
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Samarkand's Sharq Taronalari Festival 2005
Aygun Baylar Wins International Music Competition in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan share many cultural ties - not only historical and linguistic. The dynamic nature of these connections became an unexpected dimension of my most recent trip to Uzbekistan this summer.
The focus of this, my eleventh, trip to Uzbekistan was the Fifth Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) [in Azeri, Sharq Taranalari] International Music Festival, held from August 24-31, 2005, in Samarkand. Deemed one of the world's most important festivals of Asian music, the Sharq Taronalari Festival takes place every two years, attracting the finest professional musicians from all over the world. The competition, founded in 1997, is sponsored by UNESCO to bring together people through the beauty of classical Oriental music. This year more than 50 countries were represented.
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Tanoura: The Egyptian Dervish Dance
by Laurel Victoria Gray
Reasearch into the Egyptian version of the Sufi "whirling dervish" dance, an ancient spiritual practice.
Read more about the history of dervishes in Egypt at
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/mawlawi.htm
"For a dervish, there must be a purpose,
a cause for existence, and inside the cause,
a True Human Being."
Jelaluddin Rumi
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The Beard of the Camel
The Beard of the Camel
A music review by Laurel Victoria Gray
(published in Habibi, Winter 1996 (vol. 15, no 1), page 41-42)
"The Beard of the Camel" marks the first Western release by Uzbekistan's Yalla Ensemble, the most popular group from the Central Asian republics. As a long time fan and friend of the group – and the official project consultant for this album – my opinions are admittedly biased. Still, it has been a cherished dream of mine to share this music with Western dancers and now, thanks to Imagina Productions of Seattle, Washington, that dream has come true.
Yalla's ethno-pop approach to traditional melodies and themes dates back to long before the present popularity of "world beat" music; in 1996 the group celebrated its 25th anniversary. Most of the songs on the album date from the late 1980's; Yalla's other CD album,"Jinouni", features more recent compositions with a broader Middle Eastern flavor. What ties together selections from The Beard of the Camel is the Central Asian thematic material, making the album a musical caravan through Uzbek customs and traditions; the inside CD cover even includes a map for orientation purposes.
Quite appropriately, the opening cut is "My Uzbekistan", an upbeat, patriotic piece composed to celebrate the republic's independence. Although a hymn to Uzbekistan, the melody and rhythm both lend themselves wonderfully to Arabic dance, tempting listeners to belly dance to what is the Central Asian equivalent of "A
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The Silk Road Dance of Feminine Deity
This interview with Laurel Victoria Gray touches on the deeper meaning of Middle Eastern dance.
By B. Claire
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Uzbek Dance in the New York Times
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Dance History Leaps to Life In the Archives
JENNIFER DUNNING
Published: January 18, 2002
New York Times Dance critic Jennifer Dunning mentioned Laurel Victoria Gray's groundbreaking video on Uzbek dance --
''Dances of the Silk Road: An Introduction to Uzbek Dance'' -- in this article about the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
She wrote:
''an hourlong 1986 video called ''Dances of the Silk Road: An Introduction to Uzbek Dance,'' distributed by the Uzbek Dance Society of Seattle. This video focuses on women's dance but offers intriguing looks at the basic arm gestures and characteristic movements of the forms as well as the costumes, jewelry and music associated with the dances.''
Read the entire article at:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E2DF1E38F93BA25752C0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2
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Uzbek Language Newspaper Article 1988
''Tanovar'' from Seattle
This 1988 article spotlighted the Uzbek Dance and Culture Society delegation led by Laurel Victoria Gray.
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Who has the right to write about dance?
by Laurel Victoria Gray
An examination of the role of dance criticism in the Middle Eastern dance community.
Let us be honest. We are all critics. We all harbor likes and dislikes on a myriad of topics, including dance. Indeed, our ability to distinguish differences is a positive survival trait. Humans need to be discerning; we need to identify the difference between edible and poisonous plants, between useful animals and potential predators, between helpful and dangerous humans. Our ability to critically analyze these differences helps us chose careers, homes, hobbies, and mates.
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Wizards and Harlots
by Laurel Victoria Gray
An investigation into the pagan origins and the status of dance and music in early Islamic society.
Wizards and Harlots:
The Tainted Status of Musicians and Dancers
Within the Islamic Context
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