Some 245 students enrolled in the Hamazkayin Kayane Dance Ensemble on 27 and 28 June, 2019, captured the attention of parents, guests, and lovers of arts at the Émile Lahoud Hall. Avedis Guidanian, Lebanon’s minister of culture, sponsored the event. It was a recognition of the efforts of the Hamazkayin schools of fine arts and an endorsement of the belief in the new generation of Armenians who know to dance to the rhythm of Armenian music, to give life to Hovhannes Tumanian’s “Drop of Honey,” to grow up in a clean Armenian environment, take the stage with confidence, and show their talents.
All of this is thanks to the individuals responsible for the Hamazkayin structure in Lebanon, the army of volunteers gathered around them, and especially the dance instructors Mr. and Mrs. Garen and Jacqueline Maguinian. The intimate relationship between them and the students was on display all evening; it became especially obvious when they took the stage at the end alongside their students to celebrate the achievement.
It is easy to talk about having this number of young people regularly on the stage to show what they have been working on for the past many months, but it’s hard to imagine the effort and coordination that goes into having 245 boys and girls appear on stage in a harmonious, themed presentation, dancing precisely, in appropriate costumes, with appropriate hairdos and make-up. The diverse audience appreciated them and showed it with vigorous applause.
