It started with a flyer…….

A friend rang me to say that she’d found an advert in the whole-food shop in Sherwood, Nottingham, advertising a drop-in group for Circle Dancing. All welcome.
She cajoled – we went – and I have to say that I was a little unwilling.

The first evening I found rather strange. Chrisandra Harris, teaching, was more than welcoming, and the rest of the group were very friendly, but I found the first dance, Paneurythmy, very odd indeed. However, at the end of the session, we danced ‘Lotus’, and I just loved the patterns and the quiet, meditative rhythm.
I went went back for a second session; and found myself being drawn in – not only to the Paneurythmy (which I now love), but to the music and rhythms of dances from all over the world.

I began to be hooked.

Soon after, I attended a one-day course on Greek dancing and just loved it. I struggled to keep up, but enjoyed the experience of dancing with people from all over the UK.

I continued with the drop-in group, gaining in confidence thanks to Chrisandra; and then signed up for a day’s course on Armenian dancing.

It was a revelation.

Chrisandra was teaching, and I heard music that really moved me; and started to learn dances that really touched me. Haniel & Martin Riviere-Allan gave a wonderful presentation on the history and culture of Armenia; Haniel’s grandfather was Armenian, which added a certain poignancy. I began to discover things about a country about which I’d scarcely heard before then. The day finished with a reading of a beautiful text written by William Saroyan.

When I got home that evening I was absolutely devastated. I was supposed to be going out with friends but rang and cancelled. I just curled and cried. And cried & cried. Not because I was sad; just that I had been so moved by the music, dancing and history of Armenia. In Wymeswold!

I continued with the drop-in group, enjoying the dancing and music even more. By this stage, the friend who had introduced me to the group had moved away from Nottingham, and a friend and neighbour Judith had joined.
Chrisandra told me about a dancing holiday in Armenia organised by Tineke Van Geel. I looked at the web site and thought about it briefly. Then, before I could think any more, I clicked on the mouse and I was booked into an hotel in Yerevan, Armenia. HOORAH!

Chrisandra & I spent a fantastic couple of weeks in Armenia. We were the only two participants from the UK; and enjoyed dancing with a group comprising dancers from Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and the USA under the tutelage of Pajlak Sakisian & Liudvig Poghosian. (Translated by the wonderful & inspirational Tineka)  As well as the dancing, there were excursions to show us much of the country: I found The Genocide Museum almost unbearably moving, and Karahounj (the Armenian ‘Stonehenge’) will stay in my heart forever.
On a visit to Yegheknadzor we were able to give the villagers money which the drop-in group had raised during the year. We were welcomed into the village in the traditional manner with bread and salt, and then spent a couple of hours dancing, partying and enjoying the generous hospitality.

Whilst inYerevan, I had a costume made to match the one that Chrisandra had brought back from her visit the previous year. Haniel also had one made when she and Martin re-visited Armenia shortly before Chrisandra & me.

When we got back to Nottingham, a meeting was called for all those in the drop-in group who would like to form an Armenian Dance Group. About 12 of us were interested.

We’ve been meeting every Wednesday over the summer; practicing Armenian dances, some choreographed by Chrisandra.

We call our group ‘Kilikia’,

Judith elected to make the costumes, using my dress as a template for the women, and doing extensive research to recreate patterns for the mens waistcoats. How lucky we are to have a professional costume designer/maker as a group member!

We hope to have our public dress rehearsal in October, during a Nottingham Armenian Dance weekend that Chrisandra has organised, led by Marjolein Vliem Nieuwerth who we met in Armenia.

Happily the course is fully booked.

No flyers required then…………