Armenia’s dance traditions bring a new generation together

On a Friday evening in Yerevan, the sound of traditional Armenian music echoes across a crowded square. One by one, people step forward and join hands. Students, elderly, tourists and complete strangers form a growing circle. Soon, everyone is dancing together. Scenes like this have become increasingly common in Armenia over the past decade. According to Abel Matevosyan, choreographer of the Karin Traditional Song and Dance Ensemble, the revival is the result of years of dedicated work inspired by the vision of the ensemble’s founder, Gagik Ginosyan. Abel Matevosyan, choreographer of the Karin Folk Group Decades ago, Ginosyan began researching Armenian traditional songs and dances by traveling from village to village, meeting elderly people who still remembered the original dances, documenting their knowledge and reviving traditions that had nearly disappeared. His goal was never simply to create stage performances. Instead, he wanted to return Armenian culture to the people and make it part of everyday life once again. “As Gagik Ginosyan often said, ‘Before you can truly love your nation, you must first know it. And the path to knowing it is through its history and culture. Patriotism begins with understanding your homeland,'” Matevosyan said. That vision took shape in 2010, when the Karin ensemble began organizing free public dance lessons. In the early years, however, only a handful of people attended. Matevosyan and the late Gagik Ginosyan perform a traditional Armenian dance. Archive photo “There were days when 10 or 12 members of the group would come, but only three people from the public joined us,” Matevosyan recalled. “Many wondered whether it was worth continuing.” Ginosyan, however, never doubted the outcome. “He would tell us, ‘Be patient. One day you’ll see the results.'” More than a decade later, his prediction has become reality. The same public spaces that once attracted only a few participants are now filled with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dancers. Large circles form across city squares as people of all ages move together in dances passed down through generations. Crowd watching the dances. The impact of that transformation can perhaps best be understood through the experiences of those who have joined the movement. One of them is Nushik Mirzoyan, whose journey with Armenian traditional dance began two years ago. “I had always loved Armenian traditional dances, but I was too shy to attend the public lessons,” she said. “I thought those events were only for people who already knew how to dance.” Everything changed in March 2024, when she attended her first public lesson through the Hzor Hamaynk, or “Powerful Community,” initiative. Although she did not become a regular participant immediately, another event held at the Narekatsi Art Institute in January 2025 changed her perspective completely. “Hearing Mkhitar Darmonts speak and having the chance to dance alongside Hamazasp Aslanyan completely changed my perspective,” she said. “I promised myself that I would never miss the dance events held on the last Friday of each month, and I’ve kept that promise ever since.” Nushik Mirzoyan, a student who participates in the Karin Folk Group’s dances Today, traditional dance occupies an important place in her life. Yet what keeps bringing her back goes far beyond learning the choreography. “When I dance, I feel strength, freedom and pride,” she said. “Every dance carries a story. When you’re part of it, you feel connected to something much larger than yourself.” Dancers holding hands in a traditional Armenian circle dance For Mirzoyan, traditional dance has changed the way she connects with other people. “It’s a school of life,” she said. “You learn to put aside your ego, pay attention to the people around you and move together toward a common goal. Traditional dance is about love. You may not know the person standing next to you, but once you’ve held hands and danced together, they no longer feel like strangers.” That sense of community is evident at almost every public dance lesson. Alongside Armenians, tourists often can be seen watching the circle dances with curiosity before eventually joining in. “The meaning of the circle dance is that people gather around one shared purpose,” Matevosyan said. “When foreigners see hundreds of people dancing together, they naturally want to join. And once they do, they immediately experience that feeling of unity.” Tourists dancing with locals For Matevosyan, moments like these demonstrate that the work begun years ago has achieved its purpose. Traditional Armenian dance has become a bridge between generations, while schools and universities have begun introducing traditional dance programs and community groups continue to emerge across the country. What started as a small initiative has grown into an important part of Armenia’s cultural life, ensuring that traditional dance remains not only a symbol of the country’s past but also a living part of its present. The post Armenia’s dance traditions bring a new generation together appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.