The honored figure of RA culture, winner of the “Movses Khorenatsi” medal, prize winner of more than 200 national and international competitions and festivals, founder of the state dance ensemble “Sardarapat” of the RA Defense and Armed Forces General Staff, Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer Murad Hakobyan passed away the other day.
At this moment, we recall the dance performance “Artsakh Heroic War” at the Opera Theater of Yerevan, and after 1994, when there was relative peace in the country, on the initiative of the Military Commander (Sparapet) Vazgen Sargsyan, in 1995, “Sardarapat” military dance and martial dance ensemble is formed in the RA Armed Forces General Staff under the leadership of Murad Hakobyan.
The ensemble’s activities gained momentum in peaceful conditions, during which “Sardarapat” presented many new programs, participating in state, government, national, and international events. We should single out the ensemble’s participation in festivals of interstate army creative groups, from which they almost always returned with big prizes. Moreover, the ensemble performed in front of the audience twice a year, with unique large-scale performances, which, without hesitation, are particular to the art of ballet.
We contacted Levon Ivanyan for more detailed information about the creative activity of the well-known choreographer. “We have carried out many responsible programs together; I would especially like to emphasize the large-scale performances of “Artsakh Hero War” and “War of Existence.” When talking about Murad, it must be emphasized that in his presence, the Armenian dance art gained solidity, and the dance thinking gained a great theatrical scale. Murad was so wise that he created a dance school studio. I emphasize that his son, Edgar, was always by his side, and I am sure that he will worthily preserve and, why not, develop his father’s original dance art with a manly, large-scale theatrical thinking,” said Mr. Ivanyan.
Samvel DANIELIAN
