Tradition and a slow evolution: a look at Armenian dance within the Greater Los Angeles area

This thesis explores Armenian dance in the Greater Los Angeles Area by examining the preferred teaching styles of instructors at three different studios who range from partially to extremely traditional in their approaches to folkloric dance. By documenting Armenian dance culture in Los Angeles I want to provide readers with an introduction to the origin and meaning behind some of the movements, how they evolved and a look at the newer, more innovative elaborations on traditional styles of both well and little-known dances. I also want to focus on the community’s general view on the evolution of Armenian dance and their opinion about whether or not it is a necessary step for preservation.

本论文聚焦大洛杉矶地区的亚美尼亚舞蹈，通过调研三家不同舞蹈工作室教员的偏好教学风格展开研究。这些教员在民俗舞蹈的教学路径上，风格跨度从部分保留传统到极致恪守传统。通过记录洛杉矶地区的亚美尼亚舞蹈文化，本文旨在为读者介绍部分舞蹈动作的起源与内涵、其演变历程，并展现知名与小众传统舞蹈在传统风格基础上衍生出的新颖、创新性演绎。此外，本文还将聚焦当地社区群体对亚美尼亚舞蹈演变的普遍看法，以及他们对于舞蹈演变是否为舞蹈传承必要环节的观点。