After 3 long years, Reunite Cultures Fund made it to the Verde Valley! The Armenian Golden Gates performance was a wonderful treat for Sedona! On Thursday, February 2, the group performed for students at West Sedona School and Sedona Red Rock Junior/Senior High School and finished up the day with a public performance at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.
The group performed traditional Armenian folk dances and sang Armenian songs, with an amazing performance on the Qanun. The Qanun is a string instrument played in much of the Middle East, Central Asia, and southeastern Europe. Between each performance, group organizer and the evenings emcee Vitaliy V. Bezrodnov provided some background on Armenian history and culture.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the audience participation portion. Audience members, including our own Jenette Bill and VVS Interact members including Mary Chang, enthusiastically joined the dancers on stage to learn traditional Armenian dance steps. Led by the choreographer for the Armenian group, and encouraged by the performers, they performed admirably! After the show, attendees and performers mingled for photos and conversation.
A great time was had by all!
A great time was had by all!
Special thanks to Jennette Bill and Winnie Muench, for their tireless efforts to bring this experience to Sedona, and to the families who opened their homes to the performers.
