“The battle is not done, and there is no more retreat,” the program describes the next dance, “Battlefield.” Loud zurna and drums play as the men come onto the stage in brown taraz shirts and black pants, and Yerevan’s statue of David of Sassoun, the Armenian hero of legend, shows on the screen in the background. They perform the ancient martial dance yarkhushta49 with intensity and rhythm. The dancers jump, clap, and hit their shoulders together with incredible energy. The audience claps and cheers along. With their vocalizations and forceful movements, the dancers create a powerful energy…

Photo from Lernazang Ensemble.

25 June 2024 | Abbie Tarpinian Porto

The screen raises, and the curtains open for Sardarabad’s last performance of the night, a dance titled “Vaspurakan” after the region of historic Armenia centered around Lake Van. A lively song plays, with brass, strings, drums, and of course, zurna. About 20 men and women dance onto the stage wearing bright taraz44 costumes in a warm yellow-orange color with red aprons, vests, and hats with deep blue detailing. They hold hands and dance in a line, stepping, hopping, and shouting “hey!” to the music…

Photo from Lernazang Ensemble.

18 June 2024 | Abbie Tarpinian Porto

When Armenians still lived throughout Anatolia, a deep connection to the Armenian Highlands inspired folklore and religious belief. Mountains were the homes of dragons, the birthplaces of heroes, the earthly ancestors of the Armenian people, and even the resting place of Noah’s Ark, a belief still widely held today. Then, the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 took Armenians away from their mountains…

Photo from Lernazang Ensemble.

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