Founder of the American “David Dorfman Dance” Dance Theater, David Dorfman is impressed
On March 21, the US Embassy to Armenia is honored to welcome the modern dance performance entitled “Unsettled” at the K. Stanislavsky Theatre, which was first premiered at the New York’s prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music in August 2014. “New York Times” has qualified it as “an attempt in search for reconciliation from the Middle East to America.” In addition, under the cultural diplomacy program, the United States “David Dorfman Dance” Dance Theater was teamed up with the “Korhan Basharan” Company augmented by Armenian dancers: David Grigorian, Karen Khachatryan and Frida York. Founder of “David Dorfman Dance” theater, David Dorfman (in the photo) kindly talked to “Aravot”.
As asked him that this project with specific message is called the “Unsettled”, so whether another project to be born as a result of all of this and whether it will be called, supposedly, the “Success” or the “End”. “Your questions made me recall a story. My wife and I have been dancing together for a long time. 20 years ago, we were playing in a performance together, and it was called “Approaching the anxiety”. At that time, we were not yet married. 10 years later, when we were married, we played in another performance, which was entitled “Some Comfort”. Before coming here, we are planning for the third duet, we have not yet decided the name, maybe, we will call in “Relaxation”. Now, what comes to the “Unsettled” performance … Who knows, maybe at some point a solution will be and a performance with a name the “End” will be born, maybe it will be born, I cannot say for sure. Human nature is such that unfinished is more in our life, and we all should direct our efforts for the incomplete to eventually become complete. All my plays are about the peace process, and I am always guided by this aspiration,” said our interlocutor.
Korhan Basharan (from the left), Arina Araratyan, Shogher Galstyan and David Dorfman
To our observation that the “Unsettled” performance will be staged in Istanbul too, so what estimates he expects from Armenia and Turkey, David Dorfman said, “I did not expect, but hope that people will accept this presentation with an open heart, and it will lead to some changes. If even something is changed in one person’s head and, it is also welcoming … I wish everyone changes attitude to everyone, including the Armenian to Armenian, the Turk to Turk … We are honored that we are here days ahead to the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and going to the stage as artists, we will try to demonstrate our approach.” The famous choreographer disagreed with the opinion that the people of different nation and religion involved in this performance are experiencing the same emotions; he said that, one way or another, the human being is varied and unpredictable. As a professional, he highly appreciated the Armenian dancers. “They are superb. We enrolled David Grigoryan and Karen Khachatryan a year ago, they came to the United States and we worked together for five weeks. Today, Frida York also joined the project. She also does a very good job. Choreographer Arina Araratyan is a professional and focused person, if it requires practicing four hours, she will do it. All of them are nice people, the kind of people with whom I would like to communicate every day.”
During the conversation, we found out that the founder of the “David Dorfman Dance” visited Garni, Geghard, Zvartnots and knows that in 301 AD. Armenians adopted Christianity. He noted with admiration, “In Armenia, I have felt the love of the Armenian people to their country and the land. For 30 years, I am travelling to many countries, but nowhere I have seen such a thing. Armenians’ love towards their traditions is special, it is not in every place that they can immediately take you and show their heritage, in short, we are fortunate to be in Armenia and we managed to see many things.”
Gohar HAKOBYAN
Photos by the author
