One Step At A Time: Learning To Dance In Turkmenistan

Students and state employees have been taking part in compulsory dance and parade training since mid-September. Here, students rehearse in the eastern city of Turkmenabad in Lebap Province.

School and universities dismiss classes from midday to 3 o'clock every afternoon so that students can take part in training sessions in nearby stadiums.

After the children exit, the stadiums -- like this one in the capital, Ashgabat -- are filled again by office workers, who practice their mass dance routines until evening.

After initial preparations in provincial towns and cities, all participants will be taken to Ashgabat on October 10 for two more weeks of final training.

Training sessions take place under the watchful eyes of government-appointed instructors.

The dancers will perform in front of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who is known for not leaving anything to chance.