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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, November 24, 2008
AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble Lights Up Stage at Columbia University
On October 4, 2008, the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble performed in front
of a sold-out crowd of 600 at Columbia University. The full-length show
featured traditional Armenian dances, with many modern twists, at
Columbia’s Roone Arledge Auditorium.
The Armenian Club of Columbia University sponsored the program as a
cultural exhibition for the community. The audience enjoyed the show
from start to finish, which also included a few short humorous skits
based on the theme of love, and the performance concluded with an
enthusiastic encore. Antranig is spearheaded by Joyce
Tamesian-Shenloogian, who is the group’s artistic director, and Gagik
Karapetian, the leading master in artistic Armenian dance choreography,
who advises the group annually.
Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Antranig Ensemble, which is
headquartered in New Jersey but was founded in Manhattan. The group
plans a special celebration in 2009, which will feature some of the most
creative and newest dances in the Ensemble’s history.
For close to forty years, the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble
() has dazzled thousands upon thousands of audiences
around the world with its full-length productions, exemplifying the rich
Armenian dance culture. Through a variety of folk dances from different
regions in Armenia, vibrant costumes and exceptional choreography, the
Ensemble continues to perpetuate the Armenian heritage in support of
AGBU’s mission.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.