Ep 363. Natalie Nayun: When Governments Try to Shape the Perceptions of the Central Asian Dances
Natalie Nayun is an international teacher and performer specializing in contemporary and folkloric dance traditions from Central Asia and the Middle East. With over 20 years of dance experience and 15 years of teaching, she has studied extensively in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Oman, conducting research and training through grants including the HAAS Scholar Award, CLS, and FLAS for Persian language study. She is a well-known soloist and Assistant Director of Ballet Afsaneh, choreographer for the UC Berkeley Central Asian and Middle Eastern Dance Company, Sorayya, and former director of Adara Dance Company. Natalie has completed residencies with state dance ensembles in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and continues to travel regularly to the region for research and collaboration.
In this episode you will learn about:
The powerful difference between social dance and theatrical folk versions shaped by government agendas
What Natalie discovered studying in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan: 5 a.m. training, government ensembles, village libraries — and people drumming on tables to show her their dance
How weddings, birth rituals, and even mourning ceremonies keep dance alive as a lived, communal practice
The creation of a global online platform dedicated to the Central Asian dances, which supported 40+ teachers worldwide during the pandemic time and afterward
Why art is often the first thing silenced by governments— and what that reveals about its power
Show Notes to this episode:
Find Natalie Nayun on Instagram, FB, YouTube and website. Check online classes at her Pomegranate Garden Dance platform.
Book recommendations from Natalie Nayun:
Gender and Dance in Modern Iran by Ida Meftahi
Gesture, Dance Nation; Dance and Social Change in Uzbekistan by Mary Masayo Doi
Chorephobia by Anthony Shay
Details the BDE shows and training programs are available at www.JoinBDE.com
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Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast
