South and Central ASIA UZBEKISTAN

For its several thousand years of recorded history Uzbekistan has both benefited from, and been the victim of, its location at central Asia's crossroads. For centuries Uzbekistan was one of the most important stops on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between the Mediterranean and China. This brought a constant stream of travelers and traders to cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara, which was generally a good thing. Unfortunately, Uzbekistan was also right in the path, and therefore under the thumb, of conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and, more recently, the Soviets. Not quite as good. Today Uzbekistan is independent and recovering from decades of autocratic rule, yet still also proudly drawing strength from its past.

In calss we explore Uzbek folk dance, which most publicly takes place at festive life-cycle events like a marriage, is a gender-segregated affair — women dance together, as do men — well, traditionally, boys wearing women’s dresses and makeup, performing a dance style known as “bacha.” Most Uzbek dances involve arm motion rather than intricate footwork (the dance starts at 0:35), though there is apparently is room for the occasional stomp.