ABAKA School Announces 21st Season as Boston’s Premiere Armenian Dance School

WATERTOWN, Mass.—After celebrating its 20th anniversary year, the ABAKA Armenian School for the Performing Arts announces its 21st season with classes and registration now open. The ABAKA Armenian School for the Performing Arts was founded in 1995 by well-known choreographer Apo Ashjian with a very simple mission: to enrich the Armenian cultural life of youngsters in our community, creating a small corner of Armenia in America. ABAKA provides an outlet for young Armenians to discover and bring forth their hidden and valuable talents, thus contributing to the future betterment of Armenian cultural life. It aims to teach, through visual and performing arts, the richness of the Armenian culture and its traditions and instill in young Armenians the spirit and pride of belonging to a unique heritage.

ABAKA 6th grade students
ABAKA 6th grade students

On June 16, more than 70 students ranging from ages 4 to 16 performed in a magnificent 20th Anniversary Performance at Watertown High School in Watertown. During the evening a special tribute took place honoring Apo Ashjian—the founding director and former owner of the ABAKA School—for his vision and inspiration over the past 20 years to the youth of our community. As the director/choreographer of the prominent Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston, his dedication and inspiration led many ABAKA graduates to discovering their cultural niche and love for Armenian music and dance.

As the new owner and director of ABAKA, Eddie Megrdichian looks forward to opening the doors, welcoming our Armenian youth once again this season, and continuing ABAKA’s mission. Megrdichian started his dance career at the age of seven, performing the “Nutcracker,” and has been dancing ever since. He studied under the direction of Apo Ashjian and has been a member of the Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston for the past 10 years.

Megrdichian has also been an instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studios specializing in ballroom dancing and was a dance teacher at the Sts. Vartanantz Armenian School during his college career. He volunteers his time with dancing with the Waltham Stars and has competed at several local area competitions. He graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Providence in 2010, majoring in the hospitality fields as an event planner. He brings with him a modern vision while maintaining Armenian folkloric and classical dance.

An integral member of the ABAKA staff, choreographer and instructor Pearlene Varjabedian brings with her a unique commitment and strong belief in preserving our unique Armenian culture, which has led her teaching of many students over the past several years both on the East and West Coasts. Varjabedian was born and raised in Boston and has been active in Armenian dance for more than 20 years. She has studied under choreographers Flora Galoustian Rostamian, Apo Ashjian, and Shaghig Palanjian. She was an active member of various Armenian dance groups including Boston’s Hamazkayin “Erepouni” Dance Group, the AGBU “Daron” Dance Ensemble, and the prominent Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston.

ABAKA 2015 graduates
ABAKA 2015 graduates

In 1990, Varjabedian founded and directed the San Francisco based Hamazkayin “Groong” Armenian Children’s Dance Group. Upon her relocation back to Boston she was an instructor at ABAKA from 1995-97. From 1997 to 2012, she continued teaching Armenian dance to Armenian youth in Southern California, where many of her students took part in the Southern California Armenian Dance Association’s Annual “Paradon” Festival of Dance as well as the Armenia Allied Arts Competitions. From 1998 to 2002, she directed and choreographed in Orange County with the St. Mary’s Zvartnotz Youth Choir and Dance Ensemble, and then founded the Hamazkayin Yeraz School of Armenian Dance in 2002, where she was the founding artistic director/choreographer for 10 years until her relocation back to Boston in 2012, where she once again joined ABAKA as an instructor/choreographer in 2012.

In continuing its mission, ABAKA’s director, Eddie Megrdichian, and instructor, Pearlene Varjabedian, are committed to inspiring our Armenian youth and encouraging all students who have yet to experience being an ABAKA student to join this inspiring, fun, and exciting school.

Classes are held once a week and social activities are held during the year, as well as performance opportunities to audiences across the area. For more information or to register, contact Megrdichian by calling (617) 543-8269 or e-mail abakaschoolofdance@gmail.com.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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