Ancient Khiva, architectural appearance of which is a frozen musical experience in itself, has once again become a center of world choreographic art. From April 25 to 30, the city hosted the 3rd Lazgi International Dance Festival—a forum that brought together over 300 artists and scholars from 30 countries under the auspices of UNESCO and in partnership with TURKSOY.

For Turkmenistan, the festival became a platform for remarkable creative success. The Turkmen dance group Dessan was awarded one of the most prestigious awards—the Audience Choice Award.

The audience, gathered at the walls of the ancient fortress of Ichan-Kala, was captivated by the unique medley of Turkmen folk dances that the artists presented as part of the ethnocultural forum. Dessan's performance was a vibrant artistic event, where traditional melodies, the sounds of folk instruments, and a well-rehearsed stage interpretation reflected ideas of intercultural dialogue.

The Lazgi-2026 festival combined festive energy with a serious scientific agenda. Khiva became the venue for a large-scale expert dialogue: the 3rd International Scientific and Practical Conference discussed the traditions and universal values of dance in the development of world culture; Turkmen specialists participated in a meeting of heads of higher education institutions from TURKSOY member countries, where the central theme was the development of an "Anthology of Traditional Folk Dances of the Turkic World."

The meeting concluded with the adoption of a document that lays the foundation for the systematic preservation and promotion of the national dance heritage of all Turkic states.

The closing ceremony, which coincided with International Dance Day (April 29), highlighted the uniqueness of Khorezm Lazgi, which is inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. An awards ceremony was held for the winners of the festival's competition program in various categories.

The event featured performances by groups and specialists in person from the United Kingdom, France, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Egypt, Georgia, India, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, and online from the United States, Austria, Jordan, Mexico, Ghana, Russia, North Macedonia, Iran, China, Pakistan, and Italy.