On October 27th hospitable residents of Arpeni community welcomed their guests. This time the reason for celebration was the official launch of the community dance club. Initiated back in May, the dance club has been led by Arpeni resident Hayastan Aghababyan, with active support from the village administrative head and residents. They assisted with the renovation of the dance club space; however, mirrors, holders and microphone were still needed for the successful launch of the club. These items were purchased within the last grants cycle, announced by WFD NGO. Presently, 28 boys and girls ages 5-17 attend the club.
Invited guests, parents and community residents expressed their gratitude to dance teacher H. Aghababyan for her initiative and all the efforts in creating this club, as well as to WFD NGO for continuous support to Arpeni community and implementation of various projects focused on community development.
WFD NGO President Gohar Markosyan congratulated everyone on the successful launch of the project and mentioned: “I am so happy to see the happy faces of children, young mothers, women, and men of Arpeni. I am grateful to everyone who was dedicated to preserving the village in these challenging times and developing it through unwavering dedication to children’s traditional upbringing”.
Head of Gyumri’s “Crazy” dance ensemble Edgar Harutyunyan was present at the event, and he also emphasized the importance of working in the communities, contributing to proportional development of the country, and boosting its cultural life.
After the official event, dance club members performed a report-out concert and presented their skills and small successes acquired during the past 6 months.
Demonstration performances were also given by the children of Arpeni community karate club, who have also registered successes in this short period of time.
In the end of the event, certificates of appreciation were presented to the community administrative head and all the residents who supported organizing the club activities and renovation works; and the children received certificates for their first performances.