«Քայլ դեպի երազանք» - հարցազրույց Քրիստինա Գալստյան-Աղուջյանի հետ

Diana Stepanyan's article is devoted to an interview with Kristina Galstyan-Agoudjian — the founder, choreographer, and artistic director of the Paris-based Armenian dance school and company "Yeraz," which has been active in the suburb of Alfortville since 2000.

Introduction and context. The material opens with a description of the company's rehearsal preceding the conversation, emphasizing the atmosphere of live music (dhol) and the high concentration of participants — from the youngest dancers to the main ensemble. It is noted that the company has already won recognition from French audiences and is preparing for international tours.

Creative concept. A key point of the interview concerns the artistic method of Kristina Galstyan-Agoudjian:

• a rejection of purely folkloric dance demonstration in favor of theatrical narrative;
• an effort to preserve the ethnographic roots of Armenian dance (village steps and movements) while simultaneously reinterpreting them through personal authorship;
• the formation of a "Western perspective" on the history of the Armenian people, shaped by personal experience of emigration (18 years in Armenia, 18 years in France).

The performance "Scents of Armenia." A separate section of the conversation is devoted to the company's flagship production, which was built not according to a pre-written script but sequentially, "scene by scene." The plot passes through several stages: the life of Armenians before the Genocide, deportation, and the contemporary life of the diaspora in the West. The choreographer characterizes the performance as a "mirror" of her own fate and the collective memory of the people.

Creative connections and collaboration. Mention is made of the participation of renowned Armenian choreographers — Azad Garibyan, Vanush Khanamiryan, Norayr Merabyan, Anna Karapetyan — as well as costume designer Rubina Hovhannisyan. Separately noted is the influence of theater director Simon Abkarian on the stage approach of the company's director.

Biographical context. The heroine's path is traced from her emigration from Armenia in 1988 after the earthquake, through her studies at the Sorbonne and at the Cours Florent acting school, to the creation of the "Yeraz" ("Dream") school and the subsequent formation of a full-fledged company (75 artists, 160 school students).

Achievements and prospects. Particular attention is given to the company's performance at the Olympia hall during the Year of Armenia in France, described as the culmination of the collective's creative journey. Among the plans are European and world tours, as well as the creation of the company's own dance theater.

The key conclusion of the interview is that the success of the "Yeraz" company is built on a synthesis of preserving the ethnocultural roots of Armenian dance with a contemporary theatrical language, allowing the historical memory of the Armenian people to be conveyed both to the diaspora and to a broad European audience.