Not breakdancing, nor ballroom dancing, but folk dancing is still going strong today.
By Rhea Christopher
Growing up, Narineh Gholian was surrounded by Armenian music and their
signature free-styling. But it was when the London Armenian saw an
Armenian dance group perform in the British capital in 2003 that she really
felt dancing had a “wider purpose”.
She joined Akhtamar, the dance group that performs here and abroad, fifteen
years ago. It didn’t matter whether she was working or studying, dancing was
her escape and a release from the pressures of life.
“The feeling of dance itself is not easy to describe,” says the 28-year-old who
works in Human Resources. “There’s a passion and emotion within you which
shines and only comes to life when performing.”
Armenia is a small landlocked country in the East bordering Turkey, Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Iran. It is steeped in medieval and ancient history and has
produced famous names such as Charles Aznavour and the Kardashians.
Due to the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Armenians have a huge diaspora
and one of their strongest is here in London.
When on stage, Gholian not only enjoys and feels free in what she does but
feels that the wider purpose is representing Armenia. The country holds
protests around the world every year, on the anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide which is commemorated on the 24th of April, to urge Turkey to
recognise that the Ottoman Empire created a Genocide, which to this day
they have refused to accept.
Gholian’s favourite dance is Ararat, which depicts the love Armenians have
for the Mountain Ararat “which is a national symbol of Armenia and is
considered to be sacred by Armenians”, she said. The mountain now rests
within the Turkish border.
“The team spirit really shines amongst the dancers,” said Anoush Terteryan,
18, who is a teaching assistant and dances alongside Gholian. She agrees
that there is a lot of pride in representing their heritage. Terteryan also said that the dances are “living evidence that not only has our culture survived, but
it is thriving on an international scale”.
Dancers like Gholian are of huge importance to teachers, such as Karine
Avetisyan, who teaches at Akhtamar. “When you live abroad [from Armenia] it
is very easy to forget about your culture,” she said. The dance school is not
just a place to congregate and learn, but a place to preserve the language,
culture and community. As a teacher, she wants to see dancers to continue to
shine and grow, just as Gholian did by beginning as a dancer and then also
being involved behind the scenes as well.
And what future would Gholian like to see for Armenian dancing? “There are
many Armenian dance groups globally and a National State Ensemble in
Armenia. All groups in turn show how important it is for Armenians to strive to
keep Armenian dance alive and going in the modern era,” she said.