Silk Road Dance Festival

Silk Road Dance Company ®

                          “Cultural Understanding through Beauty and Delight”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  CONTACT:    301-699-1819

November  14, 2011                                                                       Malori Rhones

Silk Road Dance Festival

Saturday, November 19, 2011.  Dance Workshops from 9 am; Dance Concert at 8 pm

Joe’s Movement Emporium

3309 Bunker Hill Road

Mount Rainier, MD 20712

CONCERT TICKETS:    $20 in advance; $25 at door

https://joesmovement.secure.force.com/ticket#sections_a03F0000007x1CLIAY

ADULT DANCE WORKSHOPS: $40 in advance: $45 at door

CHILDREN’S DANCE WORKSHOP:  $15 in advance; $20 at door.

https://joesmovement.secure.force.com/ticket#sections_a03F0000007wyFFIAY

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=191021307638219

UZBEK CULTURE FEATURED IN SILK ROAD DANCE FESTIVAL

Washington, DC – Herman Cain may not know who is the president of Uzbekistan, but Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray, organizer of the upcoming Silk Road Dance Festival, not only knows President Karimov,  but is a specialist in the tradition and culture of Uzbekistan. She feels the November 19^th event -- slated to be held at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, Maryland -- provides the perfect opportunity for the public to discover the expressive dances, lavish costumes, and unique traditions of Uzbekistan and other Silk Road cultures.

Inspired by the Silk Road theme of the 2002 Smithsonian Folk Festival, the event focuses on the rich diversity of dance found along the celebrated trade route that connected China with the Mediterranean. Free daytime activities include an Uzbek-style teahouse known as a "chaikhona," featuring a mid-day serving of the national dish “plov” provided by the Uzbek Embassy, a Silk Road bazaar and a presentation on Uzbek culture by Nilufar Rakhmanova.

Dance workshops for adults, and a special 11 am class for children, are available for a fee. Class topics include Uzbek and Indian Kathak dance.

The Silk Road Dance Festival culminates in an evening concert at 8 pm with guest artists from India and China along with performances of Uzbek and Central Asian dance by the award-winning Silk Road Dance Company (www.silkroaddance.com) Featured artists include Jayantee Paine Ganguly, director of Konark Dance School and her Jayantika Dance Company, who will perform classical Indian Kathak dance. The Xuejuan Performance Ensemble, a Chinese dance company directed by Xuejuan Feng - a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy – will present group and solo pieces.

Gray feels the festival will foster a deeper understanding of the diverse cultures of the Silk Road. "The Uzbeks have a great folk saying that it is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times, “ she explained. “Experiencing these dances in a cohesive concert -- all performed in colorful, authentic costumes -- will help audiences appreciate the vast range of styles and ethnicities of Asia.”

Co-presenters of the Silk Road Dance Festival include the Asia Heritage Foundation, the Uzbek Dance and Culture Society, and World Arts Focus. Thanks to special assistance from the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, visitors will enjoy an authentic a taste of traditional Uzbek cuisine.