Lebanon’s Arin dance ensemble wraps up its tour in Armenia

Lebanese-based dance ensemble Arin is in Armenia for the first time. It had a number of concerts here wrapping up the tour on July 27.

Art director of the ensemble Gayane Manukian told Tert.am that the biggest concert consisted of 12 separate performances. She said the youngest members of the group are very excited to be here and were getting prepared for the Armenian tour with great enthusiasm. “In Beirut we are teaching them to be Armenian, learn Armenian music, dances and it seems like dream but after they come to Armenia, all it becomes a reality,” she said.

Arin ensemble has 110 members but 50 of them aged 12-27 arrived in Armenia.

Speaking about conservation of Armenian identity abroad, the art director said there are many Armenian families in Lebanon taking their children to foreign schools avoiding overloaded Armenian classes. She said it is the flaw of the Armenian unions. “There are unions in Lebanon who belong to three classic parties and each has cultural wing. Each of them seeks one goal – conservation of the Armenian identity. Children go there to acquire Armenian friends, speak in Armenian as in their schools they are speaking Arabic,” she said.

Among the problems of conservation of Armenian identity, Manukian mentioned the globalization and modernization.

While being in Armenia for few days, the ensemble managed to visit the main historic sites of the country, which though, according to Gayane Manukian, is not enough. “They did not manage to contact with locals. We will hope that the first impression will be good and they would like to come back to their homeland,” she said.

Gayane Manukian said there are 4 dance ensembles in Beirut and 4 trainers of which three from Armenia, one from Lebanon.

She said there is lack of specialists in every branch of Armenian culture in Lebanon.

“The specialists are mainly being invited from Armenia. There are people among them who stay in Lebanon for years, reach success and there are ones who do not stand the conditions,” she said.

Speaking about Armenian community of Lebanon, she said it reaches 90 thousand. Armenian schools, churches and a number of organizations are functioning there.