ARKA Ballet, the first professional American ballet company invited to perform in Armenia, presented two mixed repertoire programs at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yerevan on August 6 & 7. The Opera, which seats 1,200, recently underwent a complete refurbishing and offered a classically beautiful, yet state-of-the-art venue for ARKA Ballet's performances. On both evenings, the capacity audiences showered ARKA Ballet dancers with rarely-heard ovations.

The tour was truly a journey of discovery, as Armenian audiences heard and read about developments in dance in the west and especially in the United States, and got to experience a unique and varied program, ranging from a 19th century romantic classic, 'La Vivandiere', to contemporary works such as McIntyre's 'Blue Until June' and Kharatian's more abstract 'A Room'. Advanced ballet students were invited to take class with the company, Kharatian led a master class, and ARKA Ballet dancer Helen Marie Bunch taught a jazz class for students and dancers of Nane Ballet. And after a long day of class and rehearsals, ARKA Ballet members discovered Yerevan, with its bustling streets and markets, cafes and bistros, monuments and museums, jazz clubs and theatres. They also discovered Armenia, a nation with a 5,000 year history, an 'open air museum' whose varied landscape is dotted with ancient ruins, churches and monasteries, temples and fortresses, and innumerable 'khachkars' (stone-crosses). They were awestruck by the majesty of Mount Ararat, the alpine tranquility of Tsaghgazsor, and the turquoise grandeur of Lake Sevan. And most importantly, they daily experienced the hospitality and warmth of the Armenian people.

The success and impact of ARKA Ballet's brief visit to Armenia is such that the media continues to discuss and review its performances even now, and a documentary film about the tour is in the works. As Ambassador Arman Kirakossian of Armenia stated on June 12 during the fundraising event at the American Dance Institute, “this is a very important event because it is building a bridge between the United States and Armenia, between the cultures, between the artists of both countries.”

Find out more about the tour here: http://www.arkaballet.org/Armenia_Post-Trip2004.shtml