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About Silk Road Dance Company
The award-winning Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) presents women's dances from the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, China and the Caucasus. Founded by Artistic Director Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray in 1995, the ensemble's performances offer a unique glimpse of the life, culture, and art of little known regions.
SRDC has won deep respect from the members of the communities represented by the company's repertoire. They were the first American dance ensemble to win an invitation to perform in Samarkand, Uzbekistan at the UNESCO-sponsored Sharq Taronalari International Festival; they were also the subject of a special on Uzbek television.
SRDC has been featured performers at events for the Embassies of Egypt, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Russia, and are frequently engaged by numerous cultural organizations in the local Turkish, Iranian, and Arab communities for festivals and celebrations.
In 2003, SRDC won the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Award for Best Dance Company; that same year they presented 'Egypta: Myth, Magic, and Mystery' as part of the Kennedy Center's Prelude Festival and Local Dance Commissioning Project. A Joy of Motion Community Arts Partner, the ensemble has been a six-time finalist for the Metro DC Awards. Artistic Director Gray won the 2006 Metro DC Dance Award for “Excellence in Costume Design.”
SRDC has performed nationally at Warner Bros Studios, Houston's Museum of Fine Arts, Chicago's Field Museum, the Philadelphi
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Artistic Director, Laurel Victoria Gray
Laurel Victoria Gray is an internationally acclaimed dancer, scholar, instructor, costume designer and choreographer who has taught and performed throughout Europe, Central Asia, Australia, the United States and Canada.
Known as the '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. In 2007, she was awarded on honorary doctorate by the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan for her work in promoting and preserving Central Asian dance.
She is the recipient of the 2006 Metro DC Dance Award for Excellence in Costume Design; the 2005 Distinguished Service Award from the Embassy of Uzbekistan; the 2003 Kennedy Center Local Dance Commissioning Project Award; and the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Awards for Best Choreographer (2003) and Best Ethnic Dancer (1999).
Dr. Gray's articles have appeared in many publications including the Oxford University Press International Encyclopedia of Dance, the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater, the Enclopedia of Women in Islamic Cultures, the Encyclopedia of Modern Asia and Dance magazine as well as journals in Germany and Australia.
She has lectured for the Middle East Institute and Humanities West and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. Washington DC performances include the National Press Club, the Smithsonian Institution, the Washington Monument, and the Uzbek Embassy (for President Islam
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Assistant Director, Cindy Connelly Ryan
PRINCIPAL DANCER
Cindy Connelly Ryan joined Silk Road Dance Company in June 1999.has a background in folk dance, ballet, and modern dance. She initially studied dance with Turkish-trained dancer Rayah bint Youssef in Pennsylvania. After moving to the Washington, D.C. area in 1995, Cindy continued her study of Middle Eastern Dance with leading instructors. Ongoing studies of Uzbek, Persian, and Turkish dance have taken her to Turkey and Uzbekistan. She regularly attends the annual Central Asian Dance Camps with Qizlarhon Dusmuhamedova.
An accomplished percussionist, Cindy has studied drumming technique with Uzbek, Turkish, and US drummers.
In 1996, Cindy earned Master's Degree in Art History/Art Conservation from the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. She works as a manuscript conservator at the Library of Congress, with a special expertise in the treatment of Persian miniature paintings and calligraphy,
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Company Dancer , Angela Brown
With a great memory for dance and a winning smile, Angela Brown has studied a variety of dance styles prior to joining Silk Road Dance Company. She has a particular affinity for Indian dance, both folkloric and contemporary Bollywood choreographies.
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Company Dancer , Iman Sheybani
Iman Sheybani
Apprentice
Iman is an Iranian-American of Khuzestani origin. She has lived in Shiraz, Iran, but has received most of her education here in the United States. She has been dancing since childhood and continues to use the art of the various forms of Persian dance as a bridge connecting her to Iranian culture. After recently joining the Silk Road Dance Company, she has also come to appreciate the beauty and cultural relevance of many of the other styles of the Silk Road repertoire.
Iman is currently a third year student at the George Washington University majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Religion. She speaks Persian, French, and is currently studying Arabic at the university. Her language studies have recently brought her to Morocco and Egypt, where she has learned some of the localized Arabic dialects, as well. She plans to continue her studies of the Islamic world in graduate school and through travels, an endeavor that is very well complemented by her experience as a part of the Silk Road Dance Company.
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Company Dancer, Audrey Ichida
Audrey Ichida studied ballet for 12 years and began studying Middle Eastern dance in 1999. She joined Silk Road Dance Company in 2001, performing with the ensemble that year in their first appearance at the Kennedy Center.
In 1996, Audrey earned a Ph.D from the University of California San Diego. She did doctoral work in plant molecular biology and electrophysiology and post-doctoral work in plant cell biology. Audrey is currently a consultant with ICF International working on risk asessment, environmental microbiology, and biotechnology projects.
Audrey is a Level I certified dancer with The Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance, Albany, CA.
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Company Dancer, Courtney Smothers
Courtney Smothers has always loved dance, but began serious study and performance only as an adult after earning undergraduate degrees in Russian language and economics and beginning a career as an attorney. Although she initially planned to take just one or two dance classes, she fell under the spell of the traditions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Courntey has complemented her dance studies with travel to Kyrgystan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. She works for the government on international trade issues.
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Company Dancer, Debra Annalise Pacheli
Debra Annalise Pacheli, born in Washington, D.C. to German and Italian parents, studied music and theater during her early years. In 1995 she began her dance studies in Middle Eastern dance with Artemis and in 1997 joined Silk Road Dance Company.
In 1992, Annalise earned a degree in Early Childhood Education from Montgomery College and works as a pre-school teacher. She enjoys cooking and delights in discovering the numerous cuisines of the Middle East and Central Asia. She has catered many private parties and specializes in cake decorating.
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Company Dancer, Inessa Aruzovna Ach
Inessa Aruzovna Ach (née Sadygova)
A native of Kazakhstan with Russian and Azerbaijani heritage, Inessa began singing, dancing, and performing at a young age. She studied classical dance, as well as Russian and Kazakh folk dances for 7 years. She was also trained in raqs sharqi, ballroom dance, and hip hop. Inessa's love of the arts also encompasses music. She took piano lessons for 7 years and was a free-lance singer and performer for 5 years. Inessa joined SRDC in February of 2009.
Inessa lived most of her life in Kazakhstan and has traveled frequently to Russia (Ural) and Azerbaijan; she moved to the USA in 2007. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Maryland in 2009.
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Company Dancer, Julie Tharrett
Julie Tharrett discovered an early passion for music and movement. Throughout childhood she trained as an athlete, equestrian, and a concert flautist and choral a capella singer. While at Alfred University, where she earned her BA in Communication Studies, she studied many forms of dance, including Arabic folkloric, classical and fusion styles, leading the Middle Eastern Dance Organization.
Julie has continued her studies of Middle Eastern dance with nationally recognized instructors. As 'Asala, 'performs classical Egyptian Raqs Sharqi throughout the Metro DC area. Julie is a certified massage therapist. She currently attends language classes in Modern Standard Arabic.
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