PRESS RELEASE June 29, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: armecon@speakeasy.net; Web:

ARKA BALLET UNVEILS “JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY” IN PREP FOR ARMENIA PERFORMANCE
IN AUGUST

The voyage of ARKA ballet’s “Journey of Discovery” set sail on June 12, as
well wishers joined Ambassador Arman Kirakossian at the American Dance
Institute (ADI) in Rockville, MD, to see work that will be presented at the
National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yerevan, Armenia, on August 6 and 7.
The benefit, which featured a program of dance by ARKA Ballet, an exhibit of
paintings by Roudolf Kharatian, and a reception, helped raise money for ARKA
Ballet’s Armenia tour, which will contribute to strengthening cultural
understanding and linkages between Armenia and America.

The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception featuring fine wines from
Armenia, provided courtesy of Ararat Import-Export Co. of Charlotte, NC.
The Pomegranate wine, which was especially popular among guests, spotlights
one of Kharatian’s paintings, ‘Temptation’, on its label. Following the
reception, guests were invited into ADI’s brand-new black box theatre where
master of ceremonies Todd Felts welcomed them and presented the evening’s
invited speakers and special guests.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Kirakossian greeted Ambassador Mikeladze
of Georgia and the cultural attaché of the Embassy of Russia Irina Popova,
noting that it was interesting that “Roudolf Kharatian trained in Russia,
danced in Armenia, Georgia and throughout the Soviet Union and world, and is
now teaching and creating in Washington, DC.” The ambassador went on to say
that “this event is very important because it is building a bridge between
the United States and Armenia, between the cultures, between the art worlds
of both countries.”

The next speaker, Michael Bjerknes, Executive Director of the American Dance
Institute, welcomed the audience to this inaugural performance in the new
space. He thanked ARKA Ballet and Roudolf Kharatian, “one of the few people
whose class I enjoyed taking, enjoy watching, and enjoy learning from.”

The evening’s final speaker was Claudia Rousseau, art historian and critic.
Ms. Rousseau stressed the worthiness of this effort to “build bridges
through art between our countries.” She reminded the audience that “the
history of a nation and its worth are not defined by war or conquest, but by
its artistic achievement.” Speaking of the difficult times in which we are
living, Ms. Rousseau stressed that “art does matter, now more than ever.
This is the time to come forward and support our artists. This is the time
to help make peace happen – in our hearts, in our minds, in our world.”

The program of dance presented by ARKA Ballet showcased the many talented
dancers and their ease in both the classics and more contemporary works.
The performance gave the audience a preview of the repertoire the company
will take to Armenia. At the conclusion of the program, ARKA Ballet’s
artistic director Roudolf Kharatian thanked guests for their support and
expressed his gratitude and appreciation to his wonderful dancers. He then
invited audience members to meet the dancers as the reception continued.

ARKA Ballet travels to Armenia on July 28, becoming the first professional
American ballet company invited to perform in Armenia. The troupe of 14
will perform works by American choreographers Balanchine and McIntyre, a
classical jewel by St. Leon, as well as recent works by Kharatian. Says
Kharatian: “I know that what we are doing now is very important for
tomorrow.”