Khorazm Dance, Lazgi

The Khorezm dance is known for its fiery nature. Khorazm dance, Lazgi is the most popular style. This dance has a slow introduction and the main body, including folk melodies. First, the body moves slowly and simply; then, the whole body moves more energetically. Men and women differ greatly in how they move.

The dance was first created by the ancient Khorazmians, whose lands were located downstream of the Amu-Darya River. The ancient Greeks called it Oxus/Ox, which grew out of the junction of sedentary and nomadic people, and which emerged south of the Aral Sea at the delta of the Amu-Darya River, in oases surrounded by large deserts, including the Karakum, Kyzylkum.

The Khorezm Oasis was a vast kingdom, which included northern Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan, as well as northern Turkmenistan, and southern Kazakhstan. The dance was preserved over thousands of years by wars, social upheavals, and natural cataclysms in Khorezm.

The movements of Khorazm dance, Lazgi, reflect natural sounds and feelings. The Lazgi dance reflects the social life and activities of the local communities in all its movements. All the musicians, dancers, and singers perform in harmony, and their lyrics are mainly devoted to promoting love and kindness. There are two types of dance: the ‘scenery’ dance and the interpretive improvised form.

Despite the concrete movements of the scenery dance, its interpretation focuses on improvisation through the rhythm and dance movements becoming more dynamic and changeable. The melody and dance are so captivating that spectators start dancing up and down voluntarily.

Lazgi is now widely practiced in the country, with paintings of the dance found on the site of Tuproqqal, which testifies to its centuries-old roots. It is transmitted across generations through new versions of performances. The performance takes place during national holidays, folk festivals, and community and family events.

The dance is now being transmitted via both formal, non-formal and informal learning programs. The non-formal programs are based on the “master-apprentice” system (ustoz-shogird) of traditional teaching.

Informal learning occurs during cultural and community events. Various dance schools provide formal dance programs, including National Dancing and Choreography High School, the Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture, arts and culture colleges in all Uzbekistan provinces, today more than 300 musical and fine arts schools, more than 1000 cultural centers, and "Barkamol avlod" learning centers in each district.