AZAD GHARIBIAN DANCE

Azad Gharibian was a famous dancer and choreographer in Armenia.  With his unique style he created and breathed new life into traditional Armenian dances. Similar to the famous composer Komitas, he travelled around Armenia collecting and re-creating folkloric dances from different regions of the country.  He dedicated his efforts into perfecting the specific choreographed movements and dancing steps, yet he was never satisfied with what he achieved and always aimed higher still.

Azad Gharibian’s passionate dedication to the art of dancing was so strong that when he passed away in 1988 after an unexpected heart attack, his students vowed to carry on his name. One of his students who later moved to Melbourne Australia, Mrs. Hermine Kuyumcian, formed a dance group in 1994 calling it Azad Gharibian Dance Inc (AGD).

The aim of the Azad Gharibian Dance group is to keep alive and promote the ancient art of Armenian dancing in Australia. Its goal is to enrich the Armenian community by introducing the unique art of Armenian folkloric dancing. We do this by educating our youth about the Armenian arts and also filling their ears with the pride melodies of Armenia. AGD also aims to promote our culture and heritage to the greater community and bring awareness of the existence of the Armenian people in the Diaspora.

There are currently more than 80 students in AGD, with ages ranging from 5 to 35 years. Since its formation, AGD has been invited to perform at a wide range of festivals and concerts in Victoria and also interstate and strives to always make our presence felt in multicultural festivals by our range of elegant and uplifting dances.

Choreographer:  Hermine Kuyumcian

Music and arrangments: Aram Khatchatrian