Balancing Act
Can two ancient cultures and religions coexist in one identity?
Image
October 30, 2007
"Armenian Cirque De Soleil" Will Bring Yerevan's Youth Talent to West Coast Soil
-
Image
A scene from their first highly successful North American tour in 2005, performers from the Nork Children's Center in Yerevan have been called the "Armenian Cirque De Soleil".
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church are proud to announce the second North American tour of the award-winning performing arts troupe from the Nork Children's Center in Yerevan, Armenia.
This unique tour de force, coined the"Armenian Cirque Du Soleil," is comprised of over 50 young and dynamic students with unparalleled talent, spirit and vitality who will entertain West Coast audiences with a mix of traditional Armenian and contemporary song, dance, instrumental music, dramatic recitation, gymnastics and acrobatics. The group toured the United States and Canada for the first time in 2005, in honor of the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian alphabet.
With such talent and a second North American tour, the group is a shining example of the success of three Children's Centers established in 1993 by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the central seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the AGBU, the world's largest Armenian not-for-profit organization. In addition to the Nork Center, two other similar centers were established in the Arapkir and Malatya districts of Yerevan. Today there are over 3,500 students ages 7-19 and more than 300 faculty members at the three AGBU Children's Centers.
These institutions were established with the intent to provide eager students with an after-school program focusing on art, music, crafts, dance, history, language, composition, gymnastics, and acrobatics. Fourteen years later, it is evident that the Centers indeed have encouraged the artistic and cultural lives of a new generation, while keeping the older performance traditions of our motherland alive.
Over 50 performers from Yerevan will come to the stages of Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in this tri-city Western tour under the leadership of Artistic Director Aida Andriasyan, in addition to seven other Nork Children's Center instructors.
The tour begins in Dallas with one performance on November 4 at the Eismann Center, followed by eight performances in Los Angeles at various locations from November 8 through November 18, and will close with a final show in San Francisco at the Bayside Performing Arts Center on November 25. Check the tour website (agbu.org/cctour) for more details on performance locations and times.
During their stay in the United States, Nork Children's Center guests will enjoy a visit to Hollywood Boulevard, Disneyland and Universal Studios, as well as participate in several social gatherings at various Armenian churches and organizations.
For more information about the North American Tour and to purchase tickets contact:
Dallas: Eisemann- 972.744.4650
Los Angeles: AGBU Pasadena office- 626.794.7942 or the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School: 818.883.2428.
San Francisco: Yervant Zorian: 510.360.8035
For more information about AGBU, its worldwide programs, and the North Armerican Tour please visit www.agbu.org. For more information about the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, please visit http://www.armenianchurchwd.com.
Please note that archived content may appear distorted as it has been stripped of formatting and original images.
