As the lights went down at the London Coliseum, a full house was immersed in opening notes as the National Ballet of Uzbekistan began their evening of A Dance of Soul and Love. Upon opening, we are pulled into the scene of a dancer that we will soon know is ‘Soul’, dancing solo, as the backdrop of the silk road is represented by stunning fabrics across the stage.

Dance of Soul and Love takes place between four acts - An Oasis Somewhere on Silk Road, A Natural History Museum, The World of Today and Traditions, and Love and Soul. Throughout the first act, we see Soul struggle across the stage until she is unable to move. The music eventually revitalises her and breathes life back into her, allowing her the opportunity to fall in love. This story of love is then preserved by a Shaman as it will be passed down through generations.

In the second act, music and beautiful gold lighting are used to transport us to the present day, bringing to life a natural history museum on the stage. In this museum we meet Love, who soon recognizes herself in the face of ‘Soul’, who has been preserved as an exhibit in the natural history museum. As we are seeing Love and Soul come together, we see the other exhibits start to move as well, glass boxes containing dancers who are coming to life.

The third act brings intriguing elements to the stage, blending the hustle and bustle of today’s nine to five corporate worlds with the sounds and movement of Lazgi traditions. The past, present and future fuse together at the end of this act, urging the audience to ask ‘Are we aware of our responsibility to future generations?’.

In the fourth act, rows and rows of candles drop from the ceiling to line the stage. A large amount of candles are also unveiled in front of the stage, leaving the area aglow and creating a stunning setting as the music and dancers reach a crescendo. The ability, strength, and precision of this ballet truly shine through in the final act. As Love and Soul become one, all members of the ballet are on stage as the curtain falls.

After the show, the curtain was pulled back up and the National Ballet of Uzbekistan were greeted with a loud applause and eventual standing ovation that went on for several minutes, as well as two bouquets thrown on stage by an audience member.

Lazgi was a stunning evening, telling a unique story across generations. The simple yet impactful lighting effects (Tim Vaclavic), continual costume changes (Frol Burimsky) that give an additional glimpse into Uzbek culture, and dedicated dancers all provided such an impressive show. I would recommend familiarizing oneself with the history around Lazgi and grabbing a ticket to the next showing. This was a lovely night at the ballet and an especially lovely ode to Uzbek communities in and around London.