Svetlana Yeritsyan is the director-instructor of Tbilisi’s Jeyran Dance Ensemble, which is participating in the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora. Svetlana says she loves her job and her students and treats them like her children. She’s very demanding, but it’s justified because she wants them to do their best on stage…That’s truly the case. I personally saw how Mrs. Yeritsyan was showing an individual approach to every member of the ensemble backstage before the concert in Gyumri.

“Hayern Aysor”: When was Jeyran Dance Ensemble established?

Svetlana Yeritsyan: Jeyran Dance Ensemble was established in 2003. I’ve been a dancer for 40 years now. Living in Georgia, I noticed that the local young Armenians weren’t very interested in Armenian arts and dance, and that’s why I decided to create an ensemble to awaken the spirit in them. Now, the children attend the dance lessons with pleasure and are very interested in Armenian national dances.

“Hayern Aysor”: Why did you call the ensemble “Jeyran”?

S. Y.: The ensemble is a girls’ ensemble. They’re all very beautiful and look like “jeyrans”, or little, pretty deer. That’s why I decided to call the ensemble “Jeyran”. We hear this word a lot in the songs of Armenian folk singers and troubadours.

“Hayern Aysor”: What has the ensemble achieved to this day?

S. Y.: We hadn’t even celebrated our first anniversary when we participated in the “Golden Calf and Golden Eagle” Festival organized in Georgia where we won first place and received a gold medal and diploma. After that, the Georgians started appreciating Armenian culture, and brilliant evidence of that is the Medal of Honor that ex-President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili granted to the ensemble for preserving and disseminating Armenian national culture. I highly appreciate the Komitas Medal of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mrs. Yeritsyan, what do you think of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival?

S. Y.: First, I must say that this is our second time participating in the festival. The festival is of great significance for Armenian children living abroad and gives them the chance to be appreciated on stage. Receiving rounds of applause from foreigners is one thing, performing in the homeland and receiving appraisal from your own people is another thing. The children become motivated, and we become motivated as well. The “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival brings all Armenians together. We have great memories of the days that we spent during the festival, and we’ll start working with more energy upon our return.

Gevorg Chichyan