 |
|
ABOUT HAMAZKAYIN ANI DANCE
COMPANY
It was during the spring of 1974 that the idea of
uniting the Armenian youth with a goal to celebrate their
national culture and tradition through ethnic dance became a
reality as the Hamazkayin Ani Dance Company was formed.
Members of Ani are proud to be Armenian. The mission of the
Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society,
established 80 years ago, is to express pride of, promote
and preserve Armenian arts and culture, as well as to
encourage the perpetuation of Armenian lifestyle in the
Diaspora. Ani is privileged to represent and adopt these
ideals as it own. The vast accomplishments of Ani are a
reflection of high standards, upheld by Hamazkayin.
Under the determined leadership of Yeghia Hasholian and Suzy
Barseghian-Tarpinian, the Ani dance company has enjoyed
extraordinary success throughout the United States and
beyond. Performances of Ani were enthusiastically welcomed
in Fresno, San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas,
Baton Rouge, Detroit, Chicago, Washington D.C., Canada, and
the Armenian Heritage Cruise in 2008. However, the most
significant performances were at the birthplace of our
culture and history, in our proverbial homeland, Armenia. The
dance company has traversed the globe four times to perform
proudly both in Yerevan and Karabagh. It was a supreme honor
for Ani to participate in the celebration of the 1700th
anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia in
2001. In the same year, with the help of Armenian soldiers
and border patrol, the dance group was given a rare
opportunity to stand at the border on the bank of Akhurian
River and view the ruins of the ancient city, Ani. Standing
so close to the actual grounds of historic Ani, which
inspired the name of the dance company, was a deeply
emotional moment for the directors and dancers alike.
We would like to give many thanks to renowned Ballet Master
Norayr Mehrabyan, of the Republic of Armenia, who has taken
Ani Dance Company under his wings and has invested a
personal interest in the group since 1994. It is indeed an
honor to continue growing under his astute guidance and
tutelage
Hamazkayin Ani Dance Company has performed approximately two
hundred times in the past thirty-five years. We have
pleased audiences with contemporary, as well as traditional
dances, and with our uniquely dazzling costumes, designed
and created by Jane Hasholian, both of
which give a standard of excellence to the cultural
landscape of our people. Celebrating the 35th anniversary of
its existence in 2009, Ani Dance Company is currently
readying itself for yet another milestone. Participants will
include three generations of past and present dancers.
THANKS TO ... |
