Something Out of Nothing
Garin Hovannisian on navigating the creative journey
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May 14, 2008
Antranig Dance Ensemble Performs in Boston
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AGBU Antranig dancers dazzle the Boston audience with their pageantry and Armenian choreography. -
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A scene from the March 30, 2008 performance by AGBU Antranig at Boston University. -
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A scene from the March 30, 2008 performance by AGBU Antranig at Boston University.
AGBU's Antranig Dance Ensemble performed at Boston University as part of the Boston University's Armenian Students Association's (ASA) cultural event on Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2008.
Two hundred guests were in attendance at Boston University's Tsai Performance Center to watch the New Jersey-based AGBU Antranig Ensemble perform under the artistic direction of Joyce Tamesian-Shenloogian. Antranig, which consists of thirty members, performed fourteen dances from various regions in Armenia, including "Hayastan," "Haghtanak," and "Hemshen," in traditional Armenian costumes.
"There were ethnographic dances, along with a mix of traditional, contemporary, and lyrical dancing," said Tamesian-Shenloogian, director of Antranig for the past 22 years. "The performance was to celebrate and preserve the Armenian culture."
The Junior Choir of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church of Providence, Rhode Island also performed under the direction of Maestro Konstantin Petrossian. Over 20 choir members sang twelve songs, and authentic Armenian instruments, including the duduk (a double-reed instrument) and dhol (a double-sided barrel drum), were used during the choral performance.
"The cultural songs were augmented with English explanations of what the songs meant and where they came from," said Jacques Minoyan, Treasurer of Boston University's ASA.
Two ASA members, Cailyne Ghazarian and Jacques Minoyan, participated in the cultural event as well, performing in the choir and dance ensemble, respectively. In an attempt to bring Armenians together, the ASA hosts both social and educational events, which attract Armenian students from other universities in Boston, including Babson, Berklee, Boston College, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Suffolk and Tufts.
The event, which was open to the entire school, attracted non-Armenians to the cultural performance. "Non-Armenians were amazed as to how distinct our culture is from the songs, dances and cultural clothing," said Minoyan. "It was a new experience for them."
AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble, which started in 1969, is gearing up for its 40th-anniversary performance slated for sometime next year. Gagik Karapetian, Antranig's director from Armenia, will help Tamesian-Shenloogian prepare for the show.
Antranig's next performance will be at Columbia University on October 4, 2008 for a Columbia Armenian Club cultural event.
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