No we weren’t taken there by groups. We were individuals who were just bored in Bukhara and needed to find something to do. Folklore and Fashion Show definitely sounded like a tourist trap. And it costs around $20 for the show and dinner per head.
My friend and I went there, and we were very surprised to find out we two were the only ‘tourists’ in their 20’s. That’s so weird.
The show takes place at Nodir Devon Begi Madrasasi, which is basically opposite to Lyab-i-Hauz. I think it’s better to buy ticket in Bukhara (or whenever you’ve decided to go for this show). Otherwise we didn’t see any empty table. And you pick your own seat (no reservation) and you can choose to sit with other people you don’t know.
The reason I want to write about my experience was because I thought the show would be very bad. You can read their recent review on TripAdvisor. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303936-d553795-Reviews-Nodir_Devon_Begi_Madrasasi-Bukhara_Bukhara_Province.html)
The show was not long, about 50 minutes I’d say. And the scale is very small, sort of like a high school level show. But it was sort of cute. So it depends on what you are looking for. We only paid $20 and we paid for the show willingly. But for other people in tour groups, I could understand why they might not be happy with the quality of performances.
So there are two themes in this folklore and fashion show. I guess it’s pretty obvious. A group of girls dances, and the other group of girls does catwalk in Uzbek fashion.
Here’s the folklore dance part.
And sort of a weird fashion show. (You can buy these jackets after the show!) I don’t understand the hats in the picture below on the left.
And then again the folklore dance.
And then the fashion show.
So it was pretty awkward. Er. But I still found this show adorable.
And food was served during the show. It was sumptuous! It was more than we expected (because our Malikjon B&B only gave us a small breakfast.) And the plov was really good! I really miss it now!
I went to take a picture with the model girls. They were mostly college students (so I related to them). Not exactly warm or cold. Limited in English. But I was pretty surprised that they didn’t reject my request for a photo together (and of course I cropped myself out!)
The show is companied by Uzbek musicians. I think it’s pretty awesome! They remind me of the grandpas I see in souvenir shops. Maybe that’s why I felt the show was cute!
Hi grandpas!
My last tip (the first tip is to go there without expecting a professional performance) is that to go there early. They don’t reserve seats, so basically you should go and pick the tables in the center. My friend and I sat too close to the ‘stage’ so most of the time we had ‘restricted view’ and saw only their backs.
Traveling Mega
