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Here’s “Episode 3” of our spring 2024 Silk Road Discovery Tour. In my last newsletter, I teased you with the possibility of seeing the Uzbek dancing princess—the five-year-old daughter of Aziz Murtazaev, leader of the Marikat/IkatUz Craft Studio ikat weaving artisan group. I’m so excited to be able to share this little video, since Aziz gave his permission to share it with our HoonArts community. (One of our commitments is to always get the permission of people who appear in our photos and videos, as part of our dedication to ethical storytelling.)

I think this video captures the joy and beauty of dance in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Murtazaev family welcomed the HoonArts Silk Road Discovery Tour into their home when we visited Margilan in April 2024 for a traditional dinner of fresh from the garden salads, plov and conversation.  

Copyright note: We've received a note from YouTube that this video can't be seen in some areas because of copyright restrictions. The song that Amina is dancing to, Daddo (tojikcha) (sung by?) Sherzodbek Jonibekov, is protected by copyright in some areas. We'll see about uploading a copy without the music, so everyone everywhere can watch Amina's performance, so stay tuned.

Our reorder of Usto Sodiq’s hand-carved decorative combs finally arrived! We’re so delighted that we have these back in stock for you! 

We also have added more of the Feather Weight  Silk Scarves from Marikat (the ikat weaving group led by Amina's dad, Aziz Murtazaev). The newest items are all hand-dyed with natural indigo.