If you happen to visit Yegheknadzor’s Gitelik University in the afternoon, the first thing that will grab your attention will be the most pleasant sounds of song and dance. And if you are more curious and follow these sounds, you will then see over 30 children enthusiastically trying to master their dance teacher’s every move. If you observe closely, you’ll think that both teacher and student feel safe and are carefree. Yes, you are right … Perhaps only partly right.
Since June 2021, with funding from the Atken Armenian Foundation (Canada) and the generous support of international scholar Professor Dora Sakayan, the Syunik-Development NGO launched their first Resilience Hub. As part of the project, music and dance classes are organized for the children of Vayots Dzor and children displaced during the recent Artsakh war. The project aims to support these children and help them overcome fear and anxiety through music and dance… to regain the right to dream.
The young dance teacher is from Artsakh and working in her profession empowers her and gives her foundations for a better future. Singing and piano are taught by two local specialist, Maro Simonyan and Manya Babakhanyan.
Though these children may not necessarily end up on the big music and dance stages of the world, we are sure of one thing: Through the arts children always overcome difficulties and are given a passport to realize their most cherished dreams.
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