Recently our government has started to lavish state and ministerial awards on many representatives of literature and art to strengthen the relations between Armenia and the Diaspora.
Aravot has often heard rumors that it has turned into cheap shows – the biography and activities of the figures who were granted awards had not been examined, as a result of which random people who have nothing to do with art have become laureates and many famous artists of the Diaspora have been left out. For example, to whom of those who grant awards has occurred to appreciate the work of singers Zara Tonikyan, Tatevik Hovhannisyan, Erna Yuzbashyan and actor and director Serzh Avetikyan. This issue was touched upon also during our meeting with Artur Nikoghosyan, the head and chief choreographer of Hayk, Armenian ethnographical and popular dance company in Brussels. He was granted a Medal for Merit, which is the same as the title of emeritus, by the municipality of Jette, Brussels. The choreographer told us that there were three Armenian dance companies in Belgium – Hayk, Hripsime and the dance of company of the local Democrats’ Union – which had never demonstrated their art in the motherland. But Yenok Stepanyan, the head of the dance company of the Democrats’ Union, has been granted an Order of Narekatsi.
Our interlocutor said that he understood that it was hard to assess at the state level the activities of an artist who works in the Diaspora. Nonetheless, he noted that the head of the dance company of the Democrats’ Union hadn’t received professional education and staged dances to “rabis” music. Avoiding answering a question why the 15-year-old Hayk dance company, which he headed and which had 104 dancers, had not performed in the motherland particularly given the fact that the performances of the Diaspora dance companies in Armenia had become traditional recently, Artur Nikoghosyan said, “We don’t know, we are not informed how one is invited to Armenia. Perhaps, I am to blame for that too… I cannot represent my dance company myself, but I think that the Ministries of Culture and Diaspora of Armenia must cooperate with Armenian embassies, at least, finding out themselves not only what dance companies, but also what artists working in different areas of culture there are in the Diaspora by that.”
In response to a remark whether he expected financial aid from the motherland for his tour in Armenia, our interlocutor said, “We organize a solo performance in Belgium once a year, we receive invitations to different festivals and events in France, Germany, Holland and other countries. By the way, there are brilliant dance companies in the Diaspora, including Navasard and Yeraz in France, the dance company headed by Vardan and Siranuysh Gevorgyan in Los Angeles, Gayane in Argentina, Zvartnots in Moscow etc. As for financial aid, the government of Belgium gives some money, whereas the rich Belgian Armenians ‘washed their hands’ of this issue long ago, one can understand them too, because they found out too late that the money they had invested didn’t serve its purpose. The official who is responsible for the budget of the Ministry of Culture in Brussels is of Turkish origin and we cannot expect anything from him for an obvious reason. However, recently the head of Mushtan, a sports club in Belgium, has tried to engage in negotiations with the Turk functionary, gives me hope that he will do whatever it takes to have the functionary support representatives of the Armenian art and sports.”
Nikoghosyan added that he needed €10 thousand to carry out his new project, The Armenian Letters, and that concerts of Hayk were thematic – The Colors of Armenia, My Country Armenia, a Stone Castle etc. He also noted that he was meticulous in terms of music and costumes, saying, “I stage dances to the music written by authors from Komitas, Sayat-Nova and Khachaturian to Mansuryan and other modern authors and in terms of costumes, Teresa Badikyan, a costume designer, who always uses Armenian national costumes assists me.” Until getting acquainted with their art in the motherland, he advised visiting www.haigdance.be website.
SAMVEL DANIELYAN
