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Egypta: Myth, Magic, and Mystery
...a dance drama of Ancient Egypt
Egypta : Myth, Magic, and Mystery is a dance drama depicting the history of Ancient Egypt. Conceived and choreographed by Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray, the concert work grew from a suite of dances she created in 1995 for a German ensemble. The concept continued to evolve and development when she set the pieces on her own ensemble, the Silk Road Dance Company.
In 2003, Gray was awarded a grant from the Kennedy Center Local Dance Commissioning Project to create new works for Egypta, creating an evening length dance concert. The new version of Egypta premiered at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on September 14 and 15, 2003.
THE WASHINGTON POST: 'Ancient Egypt came alive Saturday night at Dance Place with the Silk Road Dance Company performing Laurel Victoria Gray's evening-length 'Egypta: Myth, Magic, and Mystery'....A deep voice coming from a smoking netherworld narrated the historical dance-drama replete with striking and sumptuous images....The evening was a visual treat of whirling,glittery costumes, fluid movement narrative,rich, exotic music and a dance troupe that was clearly having fun.'
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Gul Bahaar: A Celebration of Uzbek, Indian, and Persian Dance
World Premiere
JUNE 16, 2007
Gunston Theatre
Arlington, Virginia
Metro Washington DC Area
Dance Concert Celebrates
Uzbek, Indian, and Persian Connections
Arlington, VA – The sumptuous beauty of the Moghul court came alive at the Gunston on Saturday, June 16. The performance, 'Gul Bahaar : A celebration of Uzbek, Indian and
Persian dance” honored three distinct Eastern cultural traditions which interacted and influenced each other.
Classical pieces and folkloric
dances were presented in lavish, colorful costumes by DC’s premiere Middle Eastern and Central Asian dance ensemble, the award- winning Silk Road Dance Company. People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Qizlarhon
Dustmuhamedova and Indian guest artists Asha Vattakutti and Jayantee Payne presented North Indian selections.
Although Persian and Uzbek classical dance come from an Islamic culture and North Indian court dance springs from Hindu roots, these dance forms share some intriguing similarities dating in part to the Moghul dynasty. For Uzbeks, the 16th century emperor Babur is a much-admired hero and poet;
for Indians, he is remembered as a cruel conqueror. But from either perspective, Babur is recognized as the founder of the Moghul dynasty that blended Central Asian Islamic culture with North Indian Hindu traditions.
The cross pollination of these Central Asian and Indian traditions flowered in a court culture remarkable for music, dance, and poetry. (Babur’s work, the Baburnama, was transl
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Haft Paykar: Seven Beauties
World Premiere
APRIL 2,2005
Publick Playhouse
Cheverly, Maryland
Metro Washington DC Area
DC Choreographer Brings
Persian Epic to the Stage
The 2005 World Dance Showcase, sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC), featured a major new folkloric ballet, 'Haft Paykar: Seven Beauties,' by award winning choreographer Laurel Victoria Gray and her Silk Road Dance Company.
Haft Paykar celebrates ethnic diversity, extols the beauty of other cultures, and praises the wisdom of women. Written by the Persian poet Nizami in 1197, it is an epic romance. In the tale, the young warrior Bahram Gur enters a mysterious, locked room to discover the portraits of seven beautiful princesses, each from a different land. After he wins a kingdom and achieves great wealth and power, he remembers the maidens and sets out on a quest to bring each to his kingdom, commissioning the architect Shideh to build seven domed structures – one for each bride.
No simple fairy tale, Haft Paykar is an erotic allegory about a quest for human perfection steeped in numerology, geometry, astrology and color symbolism. Not only does each princess of Haft Paykar come from a different country, or “clime,” but each is associated with a different color, planet and virtue. Each of the seven maidens tells a tale to her bridegroom that imparts a specific moral lesson. From these wise women the hero learns patience, truth, faith, passion, serenity, fairness and devotio
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HOORAY FOR BOLLYWOOD
HOORAY FOR BOLLYWOOD brings all the color and glitter of the Indian film industry to the stage. The concert length performance, presented by Silk Road Dance Company and guest artists, pays homage to the vibrant dance sequences so popular in Indian movies like the recent Academy Award winning film ''Slumdog Millionnaire.''
The program visits some of the subjects most common in Indian film choreographies, depicting a variety of human emotions and experiences -- from flirtatious and funny to poignant and touching, from spiritual and devotional, to joyous and uplifting. Richly costumed, the dances feature music from beloved films like LAGAAN, ASOKA, BOMBAY, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE and others.
Highlights include a Rajastani folk dance, a visit to a magical temple, a romantic boat ride, a candlelight ritual and -- of course --a wedding party.
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Legends of the Silk Road
World Premiere
NOVEMBER 8, 2008
Publick Playhouse
Cheverly, Maryland
Metro Washington DC Area
'Legends of the Silk Road'
Celebrates Eastern Cultures
Washington, DC. The myths, legends and history of Central Asia came to life
as the Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) celebrates 3,000 years of women
rulers, deities, warriors, martyrs and lovers. From fierce Amazons to the
heroic Queen Esther, from a Mesopotamian goddess to celestial Buddhist maidens, the ensemble presents an enchanted evening of mystical adventure. Highlighted by breathtaking costumes and compelling music, the Legends program at the Publick Playhouse on November 8, included rare
dances of Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and the Caucasus Mountains.
Under the artistic direction of award-winning choreographer and costume designer Laurel Victoria Gray, Legends of the Silk Road draws inspiration from the feminine power and beauty of women's dance of Silk Road cultures.The first half of the program evoked long lost civilizations and pre-Islamic traditions -- paganism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Buddhism -- while the second portion presented Turkic and Persianate dance traditions of Muslim cultures.
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Raqaset Shaabia: Folkloric Dance of the Arab World
World Premiere
JANUARY 25, 2009
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Silk Road Company presented a dance journey through the Arab World to a standing-room-only audience at the John F. Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on January 25, 2009. The performance -- Raqasat Shaabia: Folkloric Dances of the Middle East -- served as a prelude to the upcoming Arabesque Festival slated to begin in February.
The program included Algerian, Andalusian, Egyptian, Lebanese, and Saudi Arabian Dances as well as an interpretive piece inspired by an ancient poem by Iraqi poet al-Mutanabbi.
Since November 2001, Silk Road Dance Company has appeared eight times at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Several concerts may be viewed on line at the Kennedy Center archives.
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Remembering the Legends: 3,000 Years of Women on the Silk Road
World Premiere
November 10, 2001
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
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The Golden Road to Samarkand
World Premiere
NOVEMBER 4, 2006
Publick Playhouse
Washington, D.C. His Excellency Abdulaziz Kamilov, Uzbek ambassador to the United States, gave the welcoming remarks at this special dance concert celebrating 2,700 years of the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Presented by Publick Playhouse and performed by the award-winning Silk Road Dance Company, 'The Golden Road to Samarkand,' premiered on November 4, 2006. The new work --directed by Laurel Victoria Gray -- celebrated the varied cultures along the ancient caravan routes while also examining the delicate balance between art and power.
More than thirty dancers performed pieces from Uzbek, Persian, Tajik, Azeri, Afghan, Uighur, Turkmen, Indian, and Chinese cultures, portraying the cosmopolitan legacy of Samarkand. Lavish, detailed costumes – many designed by Gray and constructed by members of SRDC – offered a visual reminder of the diversity of peoples who contributed to the development of Samarkand. Russian born artist Evgenia Luzhina- Salazar is the set designer.
“This is more than an ethnographic travelogue,” explained Gray who carefully selected traditional pieces as well as creating new choreographies for the concert. “These dances depict the range of human emotion, from love and longing to sorrow and despair.' Gray sees the caravan as a metaphor for the human journey; Samarkand embodies the desire for fame, power, wealth – and beauty, too.
The Golden Road to Samarkand draws inspiration from the Silk R
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The Lion and the Sun: Dances of the Old Persian Empire
World Premiere
OCTOBER 2, 1998
Northern Virginia Community College
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