By Kevork Keushkerian
It was an afternoon of sheer ecstasy when 49 dancers took to the stage for more than two hours on Sunday, April 10, 2016, at the John Wayne Performing Arts Center of Glendale High School. The Armenian folk dances were accompanied by vocal renditions by famous artists from Armenia, New York and Los Angeles. The theme was appropriately chosen to be “Remember 1915 and Rise!!!” on this 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The dance and song performance was organized by Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Glendale-Pasadena Chapter and was held under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.
This was the fifth stop of Shushi Dance Ensemble’s triumphant tour last year, which included performances in Moscow, Yerevan, Stepanakert and New York City.Shushi Dance Ensemble was founded in 1992, under the auspices of New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral. In 1995, the ensemble adopted the name Shushi, on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the liberation of that ancient capital city in Artsakh.
Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian is the dynamic Artistic Director and Choreographer of Shushi Dance Ensemble. Under her visionary leadership, the group has flourished and grown to 110 dancers of all ages, who have sacrificed many precious hours daily, to bring this Dance Ensemble to its current professional level.Andranik Mouradian is the famed Musical Director of the group.
In 2010, Shushi Dance Ensemble made a historic trip across the Middle East, performing in Amman, Jordan, Beirut, Lebanon, and the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo. The performance in Aleppowas especially significant as it took place with spectacular fireworks in the ancient citadel of the city for 4000 spectators. Just two years later in 2012, Shushi Dance Ensemble toured South America to perform to packed audiences in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay.
The Glendale performance on April 10, 2016, aside from being a song and dance exhibition of the highest caliber, was a show of determination as vocalists like Artsakh born Andre, who had just come fromStepanakert a day before, and Armenia born Leyla Saribekyan, who had just comefrom Yerevan three days ago, both expressed their solidarity with the heroic fighters on the Artsakh border with Azerbaijan and called for unity on all fronts to defeat the enemy. This is a day of celebration, they added, to evoke the Armenian spirit to confront any obstacle in the path of victory.
Other vocalists participating in the performance were Hasmik Mekhanejian and Anahit Zakaryan from New York City, as well as Salbi Mailyan, Armen Hovhannisyan, and Ruben Telunts from Los Angeles. Especially impressive were the final two songs, Kilikia and Hayastan, with the participation of all the vocalist and Shushi dancers, which marked the highlight of the evening.
The famed, multi-talented composer Ara Gevorgyan, who had just come from Yerevan three days ago, was the Guest of Honor that afternoon. The singers and dancers mesmerized the 1300 spectators with their dazzling performances, which resulted in an extended standing ovation from the audience. The 34 dances and songs were augmented with a background video presentation of pictures, appropriately depicting the theme of the song or the dance in progress, so the members of the audience would relate to the story behind that specific item performed.
During the curtain call, Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian and the Guest of Honor Ara Gevorgyan were invited to the stage to express their thoughts. Archbishop Derderian called the evening performance a volcanic explosion of songs and dances, which made all of us proud of our rich cultural heritage. He called upon Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian, the Artistic Director and Choreographer, to continue her important work of instilling the Armenian spirit in the minds and souls of the young generations of Armenians in this remote part of our Diaspora.
Composer Ara Gevorgyan, who had enrolled into the army reserve force to fight in Artsakh and was rejected, due to the vast number of volunteers, stressed the call for unity by his colleagues and expressed his pleasant surprise to see four of his nephews among the guest dancers of the evening. He was later presented with a plaque of appreciation from the Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Glendale-Pasadena Chapter.
Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian was also presented with a certificate of commendation from Ara Najarian, the former Mayor and current Councilmember of the City of Glendale. It was in recognition of her passion and dedication in promoting the Armenian culture through talented performing arts.
Following the performance, the dancers and the artists were invited for a cast party by the organizing committee, which took place at Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Beshgeturian Center in Altadena. The sponsors of the event were also invited. Kevork Keushkerian introduced the members of the organizing committee, whose hard work and dedication was greatly appreciated.
After food was served, the dancing not only resumed but took to new heights by the guest dancers, as there were no restraints to impress the audience. It was both impromptu and informal, but excited everyone in attendance. Hats off to them and good luck for their future endeavors!!!
Arev’s Centennial Celebrated in Egypt
The concluding centennial ceremonies for the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL) newspaper Arev took place on April 27 in the Goganian Complex in Heliopolis, a city founded by Nubar Pasha near Cairo. In addition to the newspaper’s staff and correspondents, Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanyan, Primate of the Armenian Church in Egypt (and responsible also for Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Republic of South Africa), Armen Melkonian, ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Africa and Israel, ADL and Armenian General Benevolent Union leaders, and the editors of the Armenian newspapers Husaper and Jahagir were present. Annie Boghossian-Tashjian served as the master of ceremonies. The event began with the reading of an encyclical from Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the greetings of Ambassador Melkonian. Congratulatory letters from the Minister of the Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia, the president of the Union of Journalists of Armenia, and former Arev editors Edmond Azadian and Avedis Yapudjian were read.
Boghosian-Tashjian presented episodes from the rich history of the one-hundred-year-old newspaper, which began under the editorship of Vahan Tekeyan. Then the keynote speaker, Hagop Avedikian, spoke about the importance of Arev. Avedikian, editor of the Yerevan newspaper Azg, had been invited from Armenia specifically for this occasion. After his speech, he presented the Havadarim Masnakidutean [Faithful to the Profession] medal from the Union of Journalists of Armenia to Alis Depoyan, who for many years has worked for Arev.
Depoyan’s newly published anthology was celebrated by means of a kinetzon ceremony in which the book was anointed with wine.
