The Dance of the Armenian Queens

This is elegance incarnate. Led by Artistic Director Karen Gevorgyan, the Berd Dance Company of Armenia have come up with the dance production Armenian Queens to highlight the pivotal role by three women (who just happened to be queens) to Armenian culture and history.  The dance communicates themes of elegance, authority, and unity, using costume, symmetry, and restrained movement to create a powerful visual impact.  Almost a thousand years separates these queens – the most recent being from the 1200s.  However, what unites them is the endurance and continuity of Armenian culture.

On the right hand side in purple we have Queen Parandzem from the 4^th century.  To Armenians she embodies strength and devotion and defended the country against invading Persians till her gruesome death at their hands. On the left in green we have Katranide I from the 9^th century, symbolizing spiritual, Christian values.  Then in the middle in Burgundy we have Zabel from the 13^th century who symbolizes statehood and dynastic continuity. She opened hospitals, shelters for the needy, and supported the education of young people .  I hope I have got them in the right order!

 Watch the Dance of the Armenian Queens below.

Armenian Martial Dance – Embodying Unity, Strength and Collective Defence

…And now for something completely different.  As you may know, here at Kuriositas we love a good dance but the videos we showcase tend to be contemporary, in terms of both music and movement. However, sometimes it’s good to sit back and take in the past. This little gem from the Berd Dance Ensemble of Armenia showcases their national dance beautifully, set in the mountains of the country and beautifully shot.  The dance is very masculine, but it should be noted that “Berd” does mean fortress, and is also the name of the dance where the men create towers out of themselves (sadly not in this video).

Armenian martial dance emphasises brotherhood, physical strength, unity and resilience – and you can see from this performance how it was designed to be more than just recreation.  This is cultural team-building and bonding.  The particular dance shown here is traditional from the westen highlands of the country and it is believed that it evolved as warrior initiation dances as well as for agricultural and seasonal ceremonies.  The roots of these dances go back at least 2,000 years.

The costumes, too, are worth noting.  The white caps with red wrapping or scarves are the traditional regional headgear from Western Armenia. The red fabric tied around the cap adds colour contrast and helps visually unify the group on stage. Red is a traditional Armenian colour symbolising strength and vitality and you can also see it in their embroidered waistcoats.  The whole ensemble is topped by the grey, shaggy vests which suggest mountain or shepherd origins. Armenian armies often drew on rural levies, so aspects of everyday village dress influenced the appearance of light infantry.  Oh and let’s not forget the waistband and trousers? Superb!

Ani – Ghost City of 1001 Churches

Ani – some call it the City of 1001 Churches, others the City of Forty Gates.  Yet no one has called it home for more than three centuries.

Abandoned by its once prosperous and powerful inhabitants, it is situated on the Turkish side of a militarised zone between the border of Turkey and Armenia. The city of Ani is no stranger to death, destruction and desertion.

Image Credit Flickr User antonioperezrio

Image Credit Flickr User Snotch

It is a ghost city today but once its Armenian inhabitants numbered close to 200 thousand.  In its heyday it was a metropolis which rivalled Constantinople, Cairo or Baghdad as a center of culture and enterprise.  Although it was never on traditional trade routes its sheer size and power commanded visits by merchants from all directions.  Yet what happened to reduce this once magnificent and regionally dominant city to virtually dust?

Moving Yerevan

Take one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities as a backdrop, get together almost 50 of its best dancers and ask them to engage with their surroundings - and you might get something like this.  Directed by Jevan Chowdhury, who describes this as playful filmmaking meets the hidden language of dance, some of the moves here will simply take your breath away.