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Antranig
Dance Ensemble "Wows" Hartford Area Community
As
the dancers of the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble have
learned over the years, there is a difference between
each performance. Some have more energy, some have more
class, some have more fun, and some are just plain memorable.
When
the Antranig Ensemble recently performed for the Greater
Hartford Armenian community, they discovered another
emotion intheir efforts, that of mutual admiration with
their audience.
Wherever the Ensemble travels, it's always welcomed
graciously, treated wonderfully and applauded enthusiastically.
But in Hartford, there was a difference.
The
dances prepared by Antranig's long-time Choreographer
Gagik Karapetian of Yerevan and Artistic Director Joyce
Tamesian- Shenloogian were delivered with the energy,
grace, synchronization and fine detail that each required.
The authentic costumes imported from Armenia were coordinated
for each dance, sized for each dancer and pressed for
a crisp look. And the music of Ara Gevorkian of other
Armenian maestros was selected for maximum effect.
But
at the Hartford performance, the audience made the difference.
Their response to the dancers and the dances, from opening
number to encore, drove the members of the Antranig
Ensemble individually and as a group. It was as if the
audience knew what to look for, when to respond, how
to respond and how much to react.
No
doubt the delivery from the stage motivated them to
their cheers and applause, but it resulted in a unique
coordination between Ensemble and audience rarely seen
in theater productions. The
dancers left the theater that night not sure which side
of the stage appreciated the other side more.
The
event was sponsored by four churches from the Greater
Hartford area, including Armenian Church of the Holy
Resurrection, New Britain; St. George Armenian Church,
Hartford; St. Mark Armenian Church of Springfield, MA;
and St. Stephens Armenian Church, Hartford.
It
was the first appearance by the Antranig Dance Ensemble
in the Hartford area since 1984. Memories have faded
over the past twenty years, but reactions to this performance
will last a lifetime.
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