‘SHUSHI’ ENSEMBLE FROM NEW YORK CONTRIBUTES TO PRESERVING ARMENIAN
CULTURAL VALUES IN USA
AZG Armenian Daily #141, 30/07/2005
Culture
Last week, “Shushi” dance ensemble from New York performed concerts
both in Stepanakert and in Yerevan. Seda Paskalian, prominent dancing
star, founded this dancing group at St. Vartan Armenian church in new
York in 1993. At present, the dance ensemble includes 80 young
dancers. The overwhelming majority of the ensemble are the US-born
Armenians living in New Jersey.
“Shushi” visited Armenia for the first time in 2001. The ensemble gave
two concerts during its second visit to motherland. The first one was
held at Gabriel Sundukian Academic Theatre in Yerevan, on July 18. And
the second concert of “Shushi” took place in Stepanakert, on July
18. The second concert was dedicated to the participants of Karabakh
liberation war.
The ensemble performed Armenian folk dances both in Yerevan and in
Stepanakert. Vanoush Khanamirian, great master of Armenian folk dance,
and other prominent representatives of Armenian publicity, as well as
many art lovers were present at the concert in Yerevan. While in
Stepanakert, many high-ranking officials, including Ashot Ghulian,
chairman of NKR Parliament, Kamo Atian, NKR culture and education
minister, as well as Baroness Caroline Cox, deputy chairwoman of the
House of Lords of Great Britain, were present at the concert. 600
soldiers of NKR Army also highly estimated the art of the dancers.
Baroness Caroline Cox ascended the stage and presented a bunch of
flowers to Seda Paskalian, congratulating her for the concert. It’s
noteworthy that the leading dances of the concert were performed by
Gayane Hambardzumian, 16-year-old young talented dancer. She graduated
from the school founded by St. Gregory the Illuminator church of New
York.
In response to the question put by Azg, Seda Paskalian said that she
is satisfied with the concerts held in Yerevan and Stepanakert. We
also emphasized the importance of having such dance ensemble in
Diaspora.
By Hakob Chakrian