How to describe all the emotions, passions, and moving moments that hundreds of compatriots lived through on the evening of November 8, 2025, when nearly 200 teenagers and young adults who had grown up in Greece brought Armenian dance to life and shared the richness of Armenian customs.
The dance performance was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Nayiri dance ensemble. For the first time, the Hamazkayin Nayiri, Nanor, and Maralo dance ensembles operating in Athens, the Hamazkayin Masis and Cilicia dance ensembles from Thessaloniki, and the Urartu dance ensemble of the Armenian Cultural Association from distant Komotini, all performed on stage. It was a unique combination, which will be remembered and discussed for a long time.
The theater hall seemed small due to the dense presence of the audience. Among them were representatives of Armenian diaspora structures, compatriots, parents, and Armenians of all ages who took their seats early to applaud the performance of our youth. A number of parents and other compatriots had traveled from Thessaloniki and Komotini. In the front row, one could see the Prelate, Bishop Sahag Yemishyan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Hellenic Republic, Tigran Mkrtchyan, the clergy, the chairperson of the Central National Council, Nazaret Avakian, the representative of the ARF Central Committee of Greece, Hripsime Harutyunyan, representatives of organizations, and executive board members.
Opening speeches were delivered by Anastasia Kouyoumjian and Antranig Shahbazian, who detailed the 30 years of activity of the Nayiri dance ensemble, which has produced countless generations of dancers and continues to inspire Armenian youth and keep Armenian cultural values vibrant to this day.