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FOLK DANCE AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: ARMENIAN ETHNOGRAPHERS HOPE TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO TRADITIONAL CULTURAL ARTS
By Karine Ionesyan
ArmeniaNow
28.07.10 | 16:20
Arts and Culture
Ginosyan(right) and Davtyan are eager to revive Armenian traditional
dances
The Armenian Ministry of Education and Science together with a
few Armenian ethnographers plan to initiate a new national program
from September in secondary schools, teaching courses in Armenian
traditional dances.
"It was planned to have dance courses even a year ago, but a flu was
spread at schools, and there were some other obstacles, too," says
Gagik Ginosyan, specialist in traditional dances, art director of
'Karin' traditional song-dance troupe.
Ginosyan says it is important to include ethnic dances in school
curricula because even some heads of dance troupes do not know how
to dance those dances properly or are not aware of their significance.
For example, they do not know that there are special mourning dances
and joy dances, dances symbolizing unity, war, lifestyle.
Ginosyan's colleague Norayr Davtyan, Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of the State Orchestra of Armenian Folk Instruments
of Armenia, notices serious shortcomings in the sphere of folk
instruments, too. He is seriously worried that there are no
applications, for example, for taking courses in the traditional
string instrument, the oud at the Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory
this year. Only one student has applied to learn the tar and one for
the kanon.
"People mainly apply to enter the department of duduk - 15 applicants
per year, because they know that they can earn money playing this
instrument both at happy and sad occasions. And they do not want to
play oud because it provides only 35,000 drams ($94) salary (as a
teacher)," Davtyan says.
From: A. Papazian
By Karine Ionesyan
ArmeniaNow
28.07.10 | 16:20
Arts and Culture
Ginosyan(right) and Davtyan are eager to revive Armenian traditional
dances
The Armenian Ministry of Education and Science together with a
few Armenian ethnographers plan to initiate a new national program
from September in secondary schools, teaching courses in Armenian
traditional dances.
"It was planned to have dance courses even a year ago, but a flu was
spread at schools, and there were some other obstacles, too," says
Gagik Ginosyan, specialist in traditional dances, art director of
'Karin' traditional song-dance troupe.
Ginosyan says it is important to include ethnic dances in school
curricula because even some heads of dance troupes do not know how
to dance those dances properly or are not aware of their significance.
For example, they do not know that there are special mourning dances
and joy dances, dances symbolizing unity, war, lifestyle.
Ginosyan's colleague Norayr Davtyan, Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of the State Orchestra of Armenian Folk Instruments
of Armenia, notices serious shortcomings in the sphere of folk
instruments, too. He is seriously worried that there are no
applications, for example, for taking courses in the traditional
string instrument, the oud at the Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory
this year. Only one student has applied to learn the tar and one for
the kanon.
"People mainly apply to enter the department of duduk - 15 applicants
per year, because they know that they can earn money playing this
instrument both at happy and sad occasions. And they do not want to
play oud because it provides only 35,000 drams ($94) salary (as a
teacher)," Davtyan says.
From: A. Papazian