Tineke van Geel - info dance tours Armenia 2011

DANCE TOUR TO ARMENIA

May is a very nice time to visit Armenia. Fields of flowers bloom all over the countryside and the sky is usually clear enough in Yerevan to permit awesome views of Mnt. Ararat. Temperature will be around 22 degrees Celsius, but bring something warm for the 2/day trip to Lake Sewan. The elevation at the lake is 2000 meters and therefore it can be less warm. Bring an umbrella for an occasional rain shower.		Spring colors

Paylak teaching a woman's dance

Liudvig in action

The program consists of three-hour dance classes a day, sightseeing tours and free time to explore Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Dance teacher, Ashot Azatyan, was guest teacher on our first dance tour. He is a well known teacher and since 1980 he taught numerous groups. From 2000 he works as a guest teacher at the Dance Academy in Yerevan. Liudvig Poghosian and Ashot both graduated from the Pedagogic Institute and Liudvig currently works with different dance groups. He has a vast knowledge of traditional village dances. He will be accompanied by musicians. A basic knowledge of dance steps is recommended. Non-dancing partners are welcome to join the tour. During the dance classes a separate program can be organized upon request.


Republic Square in the centre of Yerevan		Opera square in Yerevan

We will be housed in rooms with two single beds and private bathroom at the Yerevan State University Foreign Guest House in Yerevan. The city centre, with lots of cosy restaurants, nice shops and museums, is within walking distance.
In Yerevan you can learn more about the culture and history of one of the world’s oldest nations by taking a guided tour of the Historical Museum . The museum has a vast collection of Armenian costumes and an impressive collection of artefacts.
The program also allows us free time to visit the ‘Vernissage’, the biggest outdoor market in Yerevan which is set up each weekend, where artisans sell their jewellery, silverware, paintings, engraved stone souvenirs and many other handcrafted items. A good opportunity to buy nice souvenirs!

Local specialties at the Bazar in Yerevan

Folk instruments for sale (Vernissage market)

Spring is coming	Amberd fortress

Nature in Armenia has many faces. Everywhere in Armenia man-made architecture blends in with the imposing landscape. If you are not such a ‘culture lover’, you will certainly value the landscape that surrounds these historic sites. There will be excursions to some of the country’s famous historic landmarks and monuments of the Ancient era and Middle Ages, such as the ruins of Zvartnots church and the religious centre of Armenia, Edsmiadzin. We will visit Amberd fortress complex built in the 11th-13th centuries on the slopes of Mt. Aragats, 2300 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by steep gorges and the road leading up to it affords great views.

Travelling to the southeast of Armenia

Unexpected traffic

From Aghtamar peninsula view over Sewan Lake		Noraduz cemetery

No trip to Armenia is ever complete without a visit to Lake Sewan, one of the largest and highest lakes in Eurasia at about 1900 meters above sea level. The small peninsula Aghtamar offers a beautiful view over the lake. Following the west shore of the lake in southward direction we will arrive in Noraduz, famous for the biggest cemetery of ‘kachkars’ (carved stone crosses) in Armenia, dating back to the 9th-10th centuries. During our stay in Sewan you can taste the delicious trout, fresh from the lake, at dinnertime.
View over Sewan Lake	Khachkar (ancient crosstone) near Noravank monastery

Dance group in Sasnashen	Spectators in Sasnashen village

A highlight on our tours are encounters with folk dance groups in different parts of Armenia. This time will be no exception. In the village Sasnashen, northwest of Yerevan descendants of Sasountsi (Armenians from Sasoun, former west Armenia, present Anatolia) have kept their heritage alive for almost a century and still dance the dances of their historic area. Maybe an invitation to dance ?! In 2007 the meeting and lunch in the scenic apple orchard certainly became a feast, and it was hard to say who was exotic to whom. Were the dancers exotic to the foreign visitors or was it the other way around? In this village you can see how lavash (traditional bread) is still prepared the traditional way, namely in the tonir (oven in the ground).
Baking of lavash bread in the tonir

We will visit a folk dance school inYerevan, where Folk Ensemble Malatya will perform for us.

Another unique chance to see Armenian dancing is a visit to the Sayat Nova Academy in Yerevan, where young people are trained to become professional dancers.

All classes & excursions will be in English.

Minimum required number of participants: 14