Karin Ensemble to Perform Free Outdoor Concert

Karin Ensemble to Perform Free Outdoor Concert

asbarez
Saturday, February 11th, 2012

The dance ensemble in performance

GLENDALE – On Sunday, February 12, the AYF and People for People
Foundation are teaming up to host a free, one-time-only celebration
featuring Armenia’s award-winning Karin Folk Song & Dance Ensemble.
The free public event will be held from 6:30-10 PM in the St. Mary’s
Armenian Church lot (500 S. Central Ave., Glendale.

Under the guidance of the leader of the ensemble, Gagik Ginosyan, and
members of the group, attendees will have the chance to join together
and directly take part in the traditional Armenian dances of their
forefathers.

`When the People for People Foundation approached us about this event,
we found it to be an excellent opportunity to expose true Armenian
talent and unite the community around our cultural traditions,’ says
Khachig Joukhajian, a member of the AYF involved in the event’s
organizing. `To have Karin perform in Glendale like they do to huge
crowds in Yerevan is really very exciting. I think we’re very
fortunate.’

The Karin Folk Ensemble has spent the last ten years collecting the
`lost’ traditional dances of Armenia, passed down through generations
by common people in villages and towns throughout country. They have
been teaching and performing these dances in Armenia, Artsakh,
Javakhk, and throughout the world, winning countless awards and
accolades in the process. Most recently, the group won first place at
the 14th Annual World Folk Dance Festival in Palma De Mallorca, Spain.

`They’re not just an ordinary song and dance group,’ explains Mona
Lazarian, founder of People for People Foundation and the main
spearhead behind Karin’s first-ever visit to the United States. `They
are preserving Armenian folk dance in its purity and awakening the
Armenian spirit in each and every one of us. It is their love and
value for our nation, homeland and countrymen that makes their
performances truly powerful and unique.’

In addition to celebrating unity through dance, attendees will be able
to enjoy booths, food, and live music throughout the night. Members of
the ensemble will also be discussing the meaning of each dance for the
audience, many of them with Western Armenian roots. They will be
providing insight into the Armenian heritage embedded in the
traditional choreography.

Sunday’s event is being held on the occasion of the traditional
Armenian holiday of Trndez (or Tyarndarach), which is celebrated every
year on the eve of February 14th . St. Mary’s Armenian Church will
host an official observation of the holiday for the entire community
the following evening, Monday, February 13.

Participants of all ages are encouraged to attend this community
celebration and reconnect with the deep-seated roots of Armenian
culture.