Paper abstract:

Dance has been an important part of Central Asian culture for millennia and continues to play a significant role in the contemporary Uzbek society. The Lazgi dance is seen an important part of Uzbek culture, reflecting its rich history and traditions and presented as a form of cultural expression, as a narrative and a form of social interaction. In my paper, I will discuss the origins of the dance and its evolution as well as its several contemporary and controversial roles in different contexts, from the indigenous folk dance to the official cultural brand of Uzbekistan.

In recognition of its cultural significance, the Khorezm Lazgi dance was inscribed to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. It is argued that the dance's connection to fire and the natural world reflects humanity's enduring fascination with the cosmos and our attempts to connect with it, while the cyclical movements of the dance offer a sense of timelessness. However, it is also interesting to observe how the Lazgi dance has evolved over time under the influence of various factors, such as cultural exchange and modern interpretations, such as given in Laura Adams’s book ‘The Spectacular State’.

In this paper, I will argue that the use of a traditional dance such as Lazgi as a cultural brand can be controversial depending on the context in which it is used. On the one hand, promoting the dance as ‘traditional’ can help preserve cultural heritage, promote tourism, and provide opportunities for cultural exchange. It can also contribute to the sense of identity and pride of the local community.

On the other hand, there are potential negative effects that should be considered. One such effect is the free definitions of the original form of dance or its distortion or misrepresentation, which can result from its commercialisation and commodification. Promoting the modern reconstruction of the dance as a traditional and unchanging form obscures the true history and evolution of the dance. This cultural branding leads to cultural stereotypisation of the dance’s origins, a loss of its authenticity and cultural significance, and contributes to its neo-colonial cultural appropriation.