Text 11
Pre-reading activity.
Discuss the following questions.
1. What do you know about the origin of the dance Ver-veri?
2. What do you think why is it called “Ver-veri”?
3. Do you practice this dance and what is it’s most typical characteristics?
ARMENIAN FOLK DANCES
Ver-veri
National Armenian dances are something that every Armenian should be proud
of. They are all full of tranquility, peace, joy, love and tender. Ver-veri or Ver-Veruk
is one of the most beautiful Armenian dances, popular in all regions of Armenia. It
belongs to the two steps-forward/one step-back type of dances and is very easy to
learn.
The name Ver-veri indicates the mood of the dance - light, joyful and sometimes
even humorous. The root of the word “Ver-veri” means to jump up high, to dance
from joy, to rejoice. It also includes the meaning of height and upwards. In old
Armenian this dance was called Vernapar, which means “dance upwards.”
Leaps and jumps are used quite often in Armenian dances. They symbolize the
efforts of the dancers to have a magical impact on the fertility of the plants, birds,
animals and humans. Ver-veri is usually performed in circles, either hand in hand or
by holding each others’ shoulders, with handkerchiefs attached to their waists.
As mentioned above, Ver-veri is quite easy to learn. Ver-veri has 2 versions -
average and high speed. Average speed version: dancers perform hands down by
taking each others’ hands. Hands slowly move back and forth during the dance. The
feet movements are as follows: right foot makes a step to the right, left foot makes a
cross-step to the right, right foot makes another step to the right, left foot makes a
move in the air without touching the ground, and then goes backward. Then the right
foot moves to the left in the air and comes back to its initial position. High speed
version: dancers hold each others’ shoulders. The feet movements are basically the
same, they just perform this version with more leaps and jumps. The dance is more
beautiful when it is performed with at least 7-8 people.
The dancers usually were young and strong men. They were jumping very high by
teaching children they needed to grow up and to be strong to protect their country.
Also, in Armenian mythology, it is said that this dance would change the entire way
of living for all the existing species in the world (including human beings and
animals). Ver-veri is probably the most famous traditional Armenian
dance. Almost every Armenian person can dance it. Ververi is considered to be the
dance of a community or a village, where every member enjoys the process of
dancing. This dance is imitating the flight of the bird. Each jump is showing the
willingness to fly high, while the movements of the hands symbolize the flight itself.
Glossary
Tranquility հանգստություն, խաղաղություն
Tender քնքուշ, նուրբ
To indicate ցույց տալ, նշանակել
Efforts ջանքեր
Magical impact կախարդական, հրաշալի ազդեցություն
Fertility պտղաբերություն, հարստություն
To attach ամրացնել, կախել
Waist մեջք, գոտկատեղ
Initial position սկզբնական դիրք
To perform կատարել, ներկայացնել
Leaps թռիչք, ցատկ
Mythology դիցաբանություն
Community համայնք
To imitate նմանակել, ընդօրինակել
Willingness պատրաստակամություն, ցանկություն
To symbolize խորհրդանշել
Post-reading activities.
Task 1. Answer the following questions.
1. What are the national dances of Armenia usually full of?
2. What kind of dances does Ver-veri belong to? Is it easy to dance?
3. What do leaps and jumps symbolize in Armenian dances?
4. How many versions does Ver-veri have? Which are they?
5. What does Armenian mythology tell about Ver-veri?
Task 2. Are the sentences True or False?
1. Ver-veri is imitating the flight of the bird in which the movements of the hands
symbolize the flight itself. ………
2. Ver-veri is very difficult to learn, because it has two quite different versions.
………
3. National Armenian dances are the only thing that every Armenian can be proud
of. ………
4. Ververi is considered to be the dance of a community, where every member
enjoys the process of dancing. ………
5. Ver-veri is usually performed in circles, either hand in hand or by holding each
others’ shoulders. ………
Task 3. Match the words with their definitions.
1. Practice a. with no part left out, whole
2. Entire b. of the ordinary or usual standard
3. Rejoice c. the way a group or community feels about
4. Mood d. feel or show great joy
5. Average e. do regularly to improve one’s skills
Task 4. Fill in the gaps with the following words or word-combinations.
(Experimental methods, stage, noticeable progress, private
universities, choreographers).
Today in Armenia there are new cultural developments in parallel with political
and social changes. The area of education has made ……………………………….
and dance education especially. Many dance schools and studios have opened.
The Yerevan Dance College is well known in the field of professional dance
education. Ballet and folk stage dance artists are trained there. In 1999 the College
celebrated its 75th anniversary. The students do not only dance on the
…………………………. of the Yerevan A. Spendiaryan National Theater Opera and
Ballet, but also on well known stages of Europe. Last years the students from the
College Tigran Mikayelyan and Arsen Mehrabyan won the first prizes in the Lozan
Young Artists International Ballet Competitions.
There are dance departments in several state and ……………………………..,
such as the Dance Department of the Yerevan State Pedagogical University and the
Yerevan State Theatrical Institute, where students are trained to become
…………………………….. and dance teachers. The basic dance teaching
programmes are always being improved by new,
………………………………………, according to the demands of time.
Task 5. Translate the following sentences.
1. Վեր-վերին հայկական ամենագեղեցիկ պարերից է, որը
հայտնի է Հայաստանի բոլոր շրջաններում. այն պատկանում
է երկու քայլ առաջ/ մեկ քայլ հետ տեսակի պարերին:
2. Հնում Վեր-վերի պարում էին երիտասարդ և ուժեղ
տղամարդիկ, ովքեր ուժգին ցատկում էին գետնին և իրենց
պարով փոքրերին սովորեցնում ուժեղ լինել և մեծանալով
կարողանալ պաշտպանել իրենց հողը:
3. Վեր-վերին սովորաբար պարում են շրջան կազմած, ձեռք-
ձեռքի կամ ուս-ուսի բռնած, գոտկատեղերին թաշկինակներ
ամրացված:
4. Ասում են կա Վեր-վերիի երկու տարբերակ՝ միջին և բարձր
արագությամբ, սակայն երկու տարբերակն էլ բավականին
հեշտ են, և յուրաքանչյուրը կարող է սովորել դրանք:
5. Այսօր հայկական ազգային բոլոր պարերը նոր շունչ են
ստացել ու մեծ շուքով ներկայացվում են այնպիսի
հասարակական միջոցառումների ժամանակ, ինչպիսիք են
պսակադրությունները, նշանադրությունները, ծննդյան և
մկրտության արարողությունները:
Task 6. Speaking activity.
Get acquainted with the passage about Armenian wedding customs and
express your opinion about each of them.
Wedding Customs
One tradition of Armenian wedding customs is the Khosk-kap. This event
officially kicks off the engagement, and is similar to what we would call an
engagement reception or party. Traditionally, this is when the groom’s parents
officially meet the bride’s parents and ask them for their daughter’s hand in marriage.
If all goes according to plan, the groom-to-be will then present the engagement ring to
his new fiancé and the eating, drinking, and Armenian-style revelry will commence.
A priest is usually present to bless the ring and the couple’s future plans.
Some other interesting wedding customs revolve around the kavor, or godfather.
In Armenian culture the kavor is arguably the most important figure in the wedding,
except for the bride and groom, of course. He is usually a close friend of the family
and is responsible for many of the wedding details, as well as for guiding the couple
in their new life as man and wife. He is also one of the first, if not the first, to be
toasted at the reception following the church ceremony.
Pre-Wedding Celebrations: Armenian weddings are known for their festive,
exuberant quality. Led by the kavor and his accompanying musicians, the groom’s
party sings and dances its way to the bride’s house with sinis, traditional gift-wrapped
baskets for the bride, before the wedding. In the old days, a sini would carry
everything that the bride needed for her big day: shoes, veil, perfume, make-up,
brandy, chocolate, and even flowers. This practice has been modernized and is still
upheld in many villages and towns. After the gift baskets are handed over, the men
drink and make merry while the women help the bride get ready. At some point candy
is thrown at the helpers, and one of the bride’s shoes is stolen and must be paid for by
someone from the groom’s party, usually the kavor. When the bride is ready, she
meets her future husband and they all eat, drink, and toast to the happy couple. Before
anyone can leave the bride’s house for the ceremony, one of her younger male
relatives blocks the door with a sword until he is given a coin by the groom’s side.
Then everyone lines up in a large, raucous caravan led by a limousine decked out in
flowers and banners.
Post-Wedding Celebrations: After the church ceremony, the wedding party heads
to the groom’s house where his mother greets the newly wed couple. Interestingly, the
mothers of both the bride and groom are not supposed to participate in the wedding
ceremony itself. On the day of the wedding the mother of the bride used to remain at
home mourning the loss of her daughter, while the groom’s mother is supposed to
stay home preparing to welcome her new daughter. Of course, this practice is not
strictly adhered to these days – nobody wants to miss the wedding. The groom’s
mother usually greets the newly married couple at her door by draping lavash on their
shoulders. As the new couple enters the house of the groom’s parents, they each break
a plate that has been placed on the threshold by the groom’s mother. Once the plates
are broken, they are permitted to enter the house and the feasting may begin.
