Blog Archives
Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston Brings Armenian History and Culture to Life in South Florida
By Mercedes Gechidjian
FLArmenians Miami Contributor
BOCA RATON, FL – What does it mean to be an Armenian? What have the Armenian people been through in 3,000 years? How have we flourished as a people and as a nation? These are some of the questions that Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston’s (SNDC) production A Journey Through Time answered during their powerful performance on Saturday, January 24 at Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton.
The event was held in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, in which 1.5 million Armenians were brutally tortured and killed by Turkish nationalists. The show took the audience on a magical and heartfelt journey through Armenian history, in which the adoption of Christianity, the genocide, and the creation of a free and independent Armenia were portrayed.
The program was organized into two parts. Part one, consisted of a travel through time, in which the audience met famed Armenian hero’s Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Khor Virab and Vartan Mamigonian in the Battle of Avarayr, among many others. Yet, the most agonizing encounter was with the twenty brides of Adana in 1909, where the audience saw the gruesome execution of twenty, innocent, young women. Part two, on the other hand, celebrated the many cultural and melodic dances of the Armenian culture, including crowd favorites, Kochari* and Nare Nare.* This part of the production showed that, even amid tragedy, Armenians have always managed to stay connected to their roots and the essence of being Armenian; in addition to finding both peace and courage through the art of music and dancing.
According to the definition by SNDC: Kochari- “Is an ancient national, ritual dance symbolizing movements that express the sense of “fighting the battle of life.” Nare Nare- “[is a] festive dance celebrating the spirit, love, and allegiance of Armenians to their homeland.”
This wonderful event would not have been possible without the Armenian Genocide Commemoration, Inc. (AGC) and their efforts to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide in Florida. Their mission is to educate Armenian and non-Armenians in the local community on a very dark time in world history. “I felt proud, relieved, wired,” stated Arsine Kaloustian, the Public Affairs Director of Florida Armenians and Chairman of AGC. “A lot of people and a lot of work went into bringing Sayat Nova to Florida. There were a lot of moving parts to this and to watch it come together so seamlessly was energizing. To know that it was the first official event in the USA that was commemorating the centennial was very emotional for me,” Kaloustian said.
With over 700 tickets sold, Sayat Nova’s A Journey Through Time was a great success for the Armenian community of Florida, and encouraged all of us to help raise awareness and seek justice towards the atrocities that occurred in 1915. As the Armenian proverb states, “If the village stands, it can break a trunk (strength increases unity).”
South Florida Armenian Students Participate in Summer Internships
By Taniel Koushakjian
FLArmenians Managing Editor
Instead of taking the summer off, five South Florida Armenian students are working in a variety of industries to advance their careers. From finance to international relations to law, Florida’s Armenian American youth are growing fast and branching out across America.
Mariam Grigoryan
Mariam Grigoryan, a Boca Raton native and senior at the University of Florida (UF), is currently a legal intern in the Broward County Public Defender office in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Under the director of Public Defender Howard Finkelstein Grigoryan’s work will focus on indigent defense. Grigoryan looks to graduate with a double major in Political Science and Criminology, as well as a minor in Business Administration. She plans to attend law school in the fall of 2015.
Gevork Sarkisian
Boca Raton resident and Queens, New York native, Gevork Sarkisian, is also pursuing his career in the legal field. A second year law student at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Sarkisian is currently interning with the law firm Kanner and Pintaluga, P.A. in Delray Beach, Florida. Sarkisian received his B.A. in Criminal Justice from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Following his internship, Sarkisian plans to visit Washington, DC to “explore new opportunities in the legal field,” he said.
Carine Kazandjian
Palm Beach County native Carine Kazandjian, a communications major and commercial music minor at FAU, is spending her summer interning with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Company in West Palm Beach, Florida. The FAU junior has a passion for music and has even released a few songs of her own, available on ITunes. “I am gaining so much knowledge working with the different departments whether it is radio or promotions. The music industry is mainly what I want my future in and this internship is giving me the opportunity to learn more and more each day,” Kazandjian said.
Meanwhile, her twin sister, Sarine Kazandjian, is currently interning at Morgan Stanley’s Palm Beach Gardens office. A finance major with a minor focus in entrepreneurship, Kazandjian is a junior at the University of Florida.
Florida International University (FIU) junior Gevorg Shahbazyan is currently an intern in the office of the Nagorno Karabakh Representative in Washington, DC as a participant in the Armenian Assembly of America’s Terjenian-Thomas Summer Internship Program, the first student internship program offered by an Armenian organization in America. Recently, Shabazyan worked with his fellow students and FIU faculty to have the flags of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh raised in the school’s atrium. Hailing from Yerevan, Armenia, Shahbazyan studies international relations and hopes to continue his studies in graduate school and someday be a diplomat.
Gevorg Shahbazyan with Nagorno Karabakh Representative Robert Avetisyan
These young, bright, rising stars of the South Florida Armenian American community are sure to impress their friends and colleagues, while representing our community proudly in all their endeavors.
Florida Armenians 