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 Yeghia
Hasholian
Artistic Director and Choreographer
Yeghia Hasholian was born in 1951 in Beirut,
Lebanon. From a young age, he was influenced by his parents
to pursue the arts. In 1957, Tatoul Altounian State Song and
Dance Ensemble of Armenia performed in Beirut. This first
exposure to dance left a long lasting impression on the
six-year old Yeghia. Henceforth, Yeghia's involvement in the
world of arts has been dominated by dance. During his youth,
he attended Aksor Kassardjian Armenian School and
subsequently became involved with its dance program, never
missing an opportunity to perform in recitals. At the age of
sixteen, he joined the Hamazkayin Knar Dance Ensemble of
Beirut, Lebanon and participated in many performances,
including Cyprus in 1970. It was around this time that
Yeghia wished to bring his dancing to a new aesthetic level,
therefore he joined both the Lizette Damsis Dance Academy,
which specialized in contemporary dance and the Sonya
Poladian Ballet School, where he studied classical ballet.
In 1971, Yeghia was invited by the owner of the renowned Ani
Dabat School of Ballet to take classes. There, he studied
under the tutelage of Ballet Master Raffik Gharzousi.
Already recognized by choreographers as a promising talent,
Yeghia was invited by well known director Gerard Avedissian
to perform as a principal soloist in an Armenian musical,
"Long Live the King". In the same year, he was invited to
join the primary professional dance and theatre company in
Beirut, Caracalla Dance Theatre. This new experience gave
Yeghia the opportunity to display his talent in many venues,
including his favorite, The Baalbeck International Festival.
Other performance locations include Damascus, Armenia,
various cities in the former Soviet Union and Tehran in
1974, where he was introduced to then Queen Farah Diba and
other members of the royal family for whom the company had
given a command performance. During his tenure at Caracalla,
Yeghia was fortunate to have trained under Bert Stimmel,
Ballet Master and Director of the Martha Graham School of
Ballet in London.
In 1974, Yeghia immigrated to the United States, settled in
Santa Monica, California and quickly immersed himself in the
burgeoning Armenian community. Earlier in the year, Suzy
Barseghian had formed the Sardarabad Dance Group under the
Armenian Youth Association of California. Upon his arrival
to America, Yeghia joined this group. Having known each
other and danced together in Lebanon, Yeghia and Suzy became
the artistic directors together. Later in 1976, the dance
group joined Hamazkayin Los Angeles Chapter and was renamed
Hamazkayin Ani Dance Group. Led by his fervor for the dance,
Yeghia devoted his energy to the new group, indefatigably
working to not only ensure its success, but also leading it
to heightened levels of creativity and success.
In 1977, Yeghia married Jane Barseghian and moved to Redondo
Beach, California. Later, they had two children, Taleen and
Talar. Yeghia's wife, Jane not only encouraged her husband
in his endeavors, but also performed in the company for
twenty-five years. Jane also designed and created the
group's costumes and continues to do this to this day.
In 1988, the State Dance Ensemble of Armenia toured Los
Angeles. They gave many performances and Yeghia was able to
not only attend every one of them, but also to meet and
befriend legendary director Vanoush Khanamirian. By this
time, the Ani Dance Group was staging most of his works.
Yeghia and Khanamirian continue their friendship to this
day. In 1994, Yeghia formed yet another meaningful
friendship, this time with Norayr Merhabyan, current Ballet
Master and Choreographer of the Barekamutyun State Dance
Troupe of Armenia. With the endorsement of these two
prominent figures, Yeghia and the Ani Dance Company have
enjoyed unparallel success.
Since the company's inception, Yeghia, had dreamed of taking
this company to Armenia. This was realized in 1999 when the
company performed in the historical landmark, the National
Opera House of Yerevan, the Vartan Ajemian National Academic
Theatre of Gumri, and the National Theatre of Stepanakert,
Artsakh. These performances were not only symbolic and
meaningful for Yeghia and those involved, but they also
received enthusiastic responses from captivated audiences.
The dance company has since traveled to Armenia four times
and has never left without an invitation to visit again. In
September of 2001, the Dance Group became part of Hamazkayin
Regional Executive Affiliate and the group was renamed
Hamazkayin Ani Dance Company.
In addition to countless performances, both domestic and
international, Yeghia and the Ani Dance Company have
received many awards and honors including Highest Medal of
the Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Society, Recognition
Award of Western Prelacy of the Apostolic Armenian Church of
America granted by Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, and
Recognition Award from Cultural Minister of Yerevan Armenia
and Stepanakert, Artsakh. Additionally, the Ani Dance
Company has received official recognition from both the
California State Senate and the United States Congress, as
well as an honorable mention from California Governor,
Arnold Schwarzenegger and United States Congressman, Adam
Schiff.
Yeghia's favorite dances include those with a contemporary
touch and require theatrical as well as dance technique.
These include, "Dle Yaman", "Loretsi Sako" and "Artsakh",
among many others. Beyond technique, what compels Yeghia to
pieces such as these is their requirement for a display of
passion. Though he no longer dances today, Yeghia proudly
stages these numbers, and in doing so, emphasizes to the new
generation of dancers the importance of performing with
energy, zeal and a movement that goes beyond merely
memorizing steps. Yeghia stresses to these young dancers
that it is the movement in dance which tells the story in an
art medium where dialogue is not available. For Yeghia, the
secret for the art of dance to stay young, the aesthete must
be aware of his roots, but also be open to new ways of
showing his art. It is the constant search for balance
between the old and new where one can find himself. |
