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ARMENIAN DANCE COMPANY GAINS FOOTHOLD IN MAINE
Portland Daily Sun, Maine
March 28 2014
Details Published Date Thursday, 27 March 2014 21:16 Written by
Timothy Gillis
Sayat Nova, a world-renowned Armenian dance company, is conducting
a free workshop Sunday in Portland, to help locals learn a few steps
and soak up some Hayk' culture.
The dance workshop will be led by Apo Achjian, a co-founder of Sayat
Nova and its artistic director, and held at Casco Bay Movers dance
studio on Forest Avenue at 3 p.m.
Sayat Nova will perform on Sunday, April 6, at the Portland High
School auditorium at 3 p.m.
Gerard Kiladjian, general manager of Portland Harbor Hotel, is
one of the original co-founders of Sayat Nova and helped organize
these events. Kiladjian lived in Boston in 1986 when the troupe
was formed, and danced with the company until 1991. He started the
Armenian Cultural Association of Maine 11 years ago, a few years
after moving here.
"We do a lot of cultural events, have dance groups, Armenian picnics,
and lectures," Kiladjian said.
When Sayat Nova last came to town, Kiladjian had quite a surprise in
store for his family and friends.
"I went to Boston on several occasions and practiced with the troupe
ahead of time," he said. "I recorded the dance and practiced it in
the basement after my kids went to bed."
When the performance at Portland High School began, Kiladjian jumped up
on stage and joined in. His daughter, Alexandra, then 16 and a junior
at PHS, and his son, Aren, then 12 and a King Middle School student,
sat stunned as their dad strutted his stuff.
There will be no such surprises this year, Kiladjian said.
Raffi Der Simonian, director of marketing and communications at the
Maine College of Art, is a second-generation Armenian. He won't be
dancing either, but he is thrilled to be taking in the events.
"A big part of Armenian celebrations involve dancing -- Armenian line
dancing," he said. "You grab pinkies in a group. They are pretty
standard steps anyone can do. This dance troupe is in traditional
Armenian costumes. Some of their steps are pretty intricate and
athletic."
Der Simonian's dad, Sebouh, was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His family
left Armenia in 1915 after the genocide there.
"Beirut was one of the places the diaspora landed," Raffi said. His
family later moved to Watertown, Mass. "If you go to Armenia
today, it's a fraction of the size it used to be. There was a
well-orchestrated attempt to eliminate the Armenian people. Now
visitors are attracted to these ancient churches."
The MECA marketer went to Clark University, in Worcester, where he
founded the Armenian Students' Association.
"Part of the mission of the group was to bring Armenian events to the
area," he said. "I realized that so much of our history boils down to
the genocide. Dinner-table discussions came down to that. Events (like
this dance performance) celebrate more positive aspects of Armenia
history and culture. It's refreshing. Armenia has an amazingly rich
history. We're struggling to regain a collective consciousness as a
national identity."
During the genocide, the "young Turks" rounded up the Armenian
community leaders -- head clergy, intellects, and successful business
people -- and held deportation marches through the desert, "relocating
them" though it was "in actuality, an effort to kill them along the
way," Der Simonian said.
"The genocide is still denied by the Turkish government. Some
governments have acknowledged it, for example, France. In the U.S.,
the last three presidents have campaigned on the promise of recognizing
it, but when rubber meets the road, they don't because Turkey is a
key ally."
Der Simonian hopes the dance will refocus positive attention on his
homeland, a country "that is laden with a rich historical, cultural,
and social heritage -- the home of Mount Ararat, where Noah's Ark
is fabled to have landed and the first country to officially adopt
Christianity as a national religion. This event provides an educational
and entertaining glimpse into that rich cultural heritage that is
so often overlooked because of the long-term devastation caused by
these tragic events."
Sayat Nova is a world-class dance company that has a mission of
preserving, promoting, and celebrating Armenian culture through the
art of dance. The events are sponsored by the Armenian Cultural
Association and Portland Youth Dance. Ticket sales will benefit
Portland Youth Dance and Sayat Nova.
"I'm a relative newcomer to the Portland community," said Der Simonian,
a Maine native (brought up in the Waterville) who has been in Portland
for a year and a half, "I'm excited to see this interest."
http://www.portlanddailysun.me/index.php/newsx/local-news/11741-armenian-dance-company-gains-foothold-in-maine
Portland Daily Sun, Maine
March 28 2014
Details Published Date Thursday, 27 March 2014 21:16 Written by
Timothy Gillis
Sayat Nova, a world-renowned Armenian dance company, is conducting
a free workshop Sunday in Portland, to help locals learn a few steps
and soak up some Hayk' culture.
The dance workshop will be led by Apo Achjian, a co-founder of Sayat
Nova and its artistic director, and held at Casco Bay Movers dance
studio on Forest Avenue at 3 p.m.
Sayat Nova will perform on Sunday, April 6, at the Portland High
School auditorium at 3 p.m.
Gerard Kiladjian, general manager of Portland Harbor Hotel, is
one of the original co-founders of Sayat Nova and helped organize
these events. Kiladjian lived in Boston in 1986 when the troupe
was formed, and danced with the company until 1991. He started the
Armenian Cultural Association of Maine 11 years ago, a few years
after moving here.
"We do a lot of cultural events, have dance groups, Armenian picnics,
and lectures," Kiladjian said.
When Sayat Nova last came to town, Kiladjian had quite a surprise in
store for his family and friends.
"I went to Boston on several occasions and practiced with the troupe
ahead of time," he said. "I recorded the dance and practiced it in
the basement after my kids went to bed."
When the performance at Portland High School began, Kiladjian jumped up
on stage and joined in. His daughter, Alexandra, then 16 and a junior
at PHS, and his son, Aren, then 12 and a King Middle School student,
sat stunned as their dad strutted his stuff.
There will be no such surprises this year, Kiladjian said.
Raffi Der Simonian, director of marketing and communications at the
Maine College of Art, is a second-generation Armenian. He won't be
dancing either, but he is thrilled to be taking in the events.
"A big part of Armenian celebrations involve dancing -- Armenian line
dancing," he said. "You grab pinkies in a group. They are pretty
standard steps anyone can do. This dance troupe is in traditional
Armenian costumes. Some of their steps are pretty intricate and
athletic."
Der Simonian's dad, Sebouh, was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His family
left Armenia in 1915 after the genocide there.
"Beirut was one of the places the diaspora landed," Raffi said. His
family later moved to Watertown, Mass. "If you go to Armenia
today, it's a fraction of the size it used to be. There was a
well-orchestrated attempt to eliminate the Armenian people. Now
visitors are attracted to these ancient churches."
The MECA marketer went to Clark University, in Worcester, where he
founded the Armenian Students' Association.
"Part of the mission of the group was to bring Armenian events to the
area," he said. "I realized that so much of our history boils down to
the genocide. Dinner-table discussions came down to that. Events (like
this dance performance) celebrate more positive aspects of Armenia
history and culture. It's refreshing. Armenia has an amazingly rich
history. We're struggling to regain a collective consciousness as a
national identity."
During the genocide, the "young Turks" rounded up the Armenian
community leaders -- head clergy, intellects, and successful business
people -- and held deportation marches through the desert, "relocating
them" though it was "in actuality, an effort to kill them along the
way," Der Simonian said.
"The genocide is still denied by the Turkish government. Some
governments have acknowledged it, for example, France. In the U.S.,
the last three presidents have campaigned on the promise of recognizing
it, but when rubber meets the road, they don't because Turkey is a
key ally."
Der Simonian hopes the dance will refocus positive attention on his
homeland, a country "that is laden with a rich historical, cultural,
and social heritage -- the home of Mount Ararat, where Noah's Ark
is fabled to have landed and the first country to officially adopt
Christianity as a national religion. This event provides an educational
and entertaining glimpse into that rich cultural heritage that is
so often overlooked because of the long-term devastation caused by
these tragic events."
Sayat Nova is a world-class dance company that has a mission of
preserving, promoting, and celebrating Armenian culture through the
art of dance. The events are sponsored by the Armenian Cultural
Association and Portland Youth Dance. Ticket sales will benefit
Portland Youth Dance and Sayat Nova.
"I'm a relative newcomer to the Portland community," said Der Simonian,
a Maine native (brought up in the Waterville) who has been in Portland
for a year and a half, "I'm excited to see this interest."
http://www.portlanddailysun.me/index.php/newsx/local-news/11741-armenian-dance-company-gains-foothold-in-maine