One of the participants of the 3^rd “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora was the Kroonk Dance Company of Isfahan, which was established in 1992 and is one of the dance companies of Ararat Armenian Sport and Cultural Union of New Djulfa.

After its establishment, the dance company started performing in New Djulfa and within the Armenian communities of Iran. According to the decision of the central board of Ararat Armenian Sport and Cultural Union, professional dance instructors have been invited from Armenia to help the dance company improve.

One of those dance instructors is Hayern Aysor’s interlocutor, artistic director and dance instructor of Kroonk Dance Company Nooneh Mkrtchian, who has been a dancer of Yeghegn Dance Company for years, received a laurel and performed in Armenia, Russia and several other countries.

“I have been working for this dance company for the past five months, and I must say that the members are young Armenians who are very hard-working and have a high sense of national awareness. They are very interested in Armenian dances and, and it is a pleasure for me to work with them. We try to engage as many children as possible so that we can introduce them to Armenian culture and provide them with the opportunity to be engaged in community life,” the dance instructor said and added that the major purpose is to keep Diaspora Armenia youth closely attached to Armenia and awaken in them the love for the homeland, and we are doing that through national culture.

Nooneh Mkrtchian is of the opinion that the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival also helps instill the national spirit in young Diaspora Armenians and introduce them to Armenian cultural values. She said the festival is encouraging and stated the following: “First of all, participating in this festival gives the members of the dance company the opportunity to maintain their ties with Armenia, establish close ties with other Armenian dance companies and pave the way for cooperation. Our young dancers always wait impatiently for the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival to begin.”

In 2012, Kroonk Dance Company participated in the first “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival. It has also performed during the “One Nation, One Culture” Festival.

In 2013, at the initiative of ARS United Arab Emirates, the dance company performed in Dubai. In addition to its annual performances, the dance company also performs at events dedicated to Armenian national and church holidays in New Djulfa.

Gevorg Chichyan