The Performance of Hamazkayin ″Ani″ and ″Erebuni″ Dance Ensembles (Canada)
The new word "harvest" is being used in our lexicon now. Our precious language is so rich. The performance of Hamazkayin ″Ani″ and ″Erebuni″ Dance Ensembles, organized on Thanksgiving weekend, was really the harvest of the hard and deligent work of the dancers and instructors.
″Ani″ Dance Ensemble's videofilm televized by ″New Armenian Horizon″ program on the eve of the event enspired us greatly to attend the performance.
The statements of Hamazkayin Gladzor Chapter says, "This performance called ″Harvest″ occupies a unique place in the range of our initiatives. Today, we are pleased to host ″Ani″ Dance Ensemble of Hamazkayin ″Sanahin" Chapter at the theater hall of Hamazkayin. It is the ensembele's first visit and the first performance together with the Hamazkayin "Erebuni" Dance Ensemble and the dance group of adults from the Choreographic College.″
The stage was decorated with two images of Armenian rugs. The talented reciter of the community and Chairperson of Gladzor Chapter, Tamar Donabedian Kuzuian welcomed the guests reading Paruyr Sevak’s poem "Hello″. The word ″hello″ is always the first step to make the impossible possible. The profound content of Tamar’s hello really inspired us and lifted our spirit.
″Erebuni″ Dance Ensemble started the first part of the program. They performed folk dances, as well as ″Vagharshapat″, ″Yarkhushta″, ″Kalinka″, ″Sirtaki″, ″Cherry Tree″ and ″Artashat″ dances. The latter is a dance of victory dedicated to the heros of Artsakh liberation battles. The dances had been staged by instructor Lori Najarian. The Gladzor Chapter of Hamazkayin is grateful to Hovhannes Harutyunyan and David Manoogian for taking the dancing tutor’s reponsibilty and working scrupulously with the dancers of the Choreographic School in the abcense of Lori Najarian.
The performed dances clearly showed Lori Najarian's professional staging and instructing abilities.
The gorgeous colors of the Armenian costumes, dancers' enthusiasm, proportionate steps, graceful movements of their hands, bold leaps and fearless jumps charmed the 350 people attended the performance. Though Sunday, October 9 was the Thanksgiving weekend, the people had gladly changed their family plans not to miss this unprecedented performance. The program also included Azat Gharibian's ″Spindles″, ″Memoirs″ and ″Kochari″ and Vanush Khanamiryan's ″Enzeli″, which were perfectly and authentically performed. Lori and Hamazkayin never forget to mention the names of those dance directors. Gharibian and Khanamirian have always been the leaders of national dances.
After the performance of "Memoirs", Tamar Donabedian Kuzuian recited Kevork Emin's poem "Sassօօn Dance". When she reached the lines “Good job, Sasoon, go on dancing, you still have to make your dream come true, and have to take vengeance for the past,” the dance music started, and the boys confidently entered the stage and started dancing ″Yarkhushta″. The heartfelt word combined with dance greatly inspired us and took us to Sassoon.
The second part of the program included the performance of Hamazkayin Sanahin Chapter's ″Ani″ Dance Ensemble. They performed ″Flying Grief″, ″Short Kochari″, ″People form Mountains″, ″Kamancha″, ″Potpourri″, ″New Kochari″, ″Hoy Nare″, ″Sardarapat″ and ″Artashat″ dances, staged by instructor Eva Hayrapetyan. She has been working with ″Ani″ Dance Ensemble for more than 20 years. The compositions of modern style dancing, ballet dancing and Armenian traditional dance made the performance interesting and impressive. The audience was following everything happening on the stage hynotized with rapid and diverse dances. The movements and simultinaously performed dances were so diverse that sometimes we could not follow everything on the stage. The smooth dancing or the unexpected movements, the colors deeply enchanted and empressed us.
The thunderous applause for the performance spoke about the rapture and fascination of the audience. In her closing speech on behalf of the Board, Tamar Donabedian Kuzuian expressed gratefulness to all those who supported the organizers in making this event a reality. Eve Hayrapetyan, Hovhannes Harutyunyan, David Manoogian got gorgeous bouquets of flowers. Very Rev. Fr. Elia Kiredjian encouraged everybody with his cordial speech and Protective prayer, which ended this superb and unique evening.
Arsho Zakarian
October 28, 2016
Toronto