INTERVIEW WITH ADULT IRISH DANCER LIA AVETISYA FROM GERMANY – PHOTOS

Irish Central
Sept 18 2012

Irish dancing is a world-wide phenomenon, and dancers all over the
globe participate in the Irish dance music and culture.

Please welcome Lia Avetisya. Lia was born in Armenia and she currently
lives in Munich, Germany. She dances for the Tir na nOg Irish Dance
School.

“Dancing is not only about competition, it’s an art and you can never
be too old for art.”

~Lia Avetisya, adult Irish dancer

Christy: Tell me a little bit about your Irish dance journey.

Lia: My journey started over three years ago, when I saw an
announcement in one of the local forums that invited adults to a
free trial lesson at Tir na nOg school in Munich. The announcement
said “come even if you have two left feet”, which I thought sounded
encouraging, because I had never had dance lesson before. I had wanted
to learn Irish dancing for years, but I had no opportunity as there
were no Irish dance schools where I lived, so I seized the chance,
and have been dancing ever since. By now I have taken part in quite
a few feiseanna, a show project, a number of summer camps and gigs. I
had multiple injuries, and prizes, and I still think this was one of
the best decisions I have made in my life.

In fact, I consider Irish dancing something like a therapy. There
have been quite a few times when I came to the class after having
a stressful day, but my bad mood and worries disappeared about 10
minutes after we started dancing. Probably that has also to do with
the fact that Tir na nOg has great teachers. I cannot remember a single
lesson that was not full of fun, laughter and, of course, exercise.

Christy: How prevalent is Irish dancing in Germany? In Armenia?

Lia: There are quite a few Irish dance schools in Germany, and I
believe Tir na nOg is one of the biggest ones in Germany/Europe. There
are no Irish dance schools in Armenia, unfortunately.

best friends, who are now a part of my life, and I’m very glad that
they are.

Christy: What is your favorite practice music?

Lia: I like music with a good beat so if you see me tapping my feet on
a subway train, under the table, next to a coffee machine, or skipping
down the street then I must be listening to Beoga on my iTunes.

Christy: What do you think the future looks like for adult Irish
dancers?

Lia: I am very thankful to Shane McAvinchey, who made it possible
for me to start dancing, and I think it’s fantastic that adults are
given the chance to learn Irish dancing. I know that not all schools
are offering adult Irish dance classes. However, I’m hopeful that more
and more schools will open their doors for adults. Dancing is not only
about competition, it’s an art and you can never be too old for art.

Christy: Thanks Lia and happy dancing!

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress