​Dances from Tadjikistan

​Tadjikistan is situated in central Asia and is an ex-Soviet republic which is now an independent state. Tadjikistan borders on Afghanistan, China, Uzbekistan and Kirghizistan. Although the Tadjiks speak an Iranian language, their dances have many similarities with the dances of the neighboring Turkic speaking Uzbeks. Expressive faces, beautiful hand movements, lyrical body movements and dizzying spins characterize the dances of Central Asia. The costumes -- whether made from Khan-Atlas silk (Ikat) or richly embroidered -- mirror Central Asia's important location on the ancient Silk Route.