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Mery Lavonyan
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Mery Levonyan lives in Yerevan, Armenia and is a lead singer, main dancer, and dance instructor who has served as a guest teacher on several occasions during dance tours led by Tineke and Maurits van Geel. This experience has given her a strong background in working with international groups, and her open, enthusiastic teaching style quickly puts participants at ease.
Mery is a passionate dance instructor who performs with a dance troupe and conducts numerous courses and workshops.
Her mission is to make traditional Armenian dances accessible and appealing to a broad audience. She is also actively committed to reviving old, nearly forgotten dances, resulting in an engaging and diverse dance program.
Folk dancing as a recreational activity has only really gained momentum in Armenia over the past decade. Mery plays a key role in this movement; through her enthusiasm, knowledge, and dedication.
She inspires many people to discover and experience Armenian dance culture and to pass it on to future generations.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
- A dedicated traditional folk artist with over a decade of continuous performance experience, dancing and singing professionally since 2015.
- erving as both Lead Singer and Main Dancer for Masunk, a professional traditional folk song and dance group founded in 1986.
- Possesses extensive knowledge of a wide variety of traditional Armenian ethnographic folk dances and ritual movements.
- Experienced leadership figure within the ensemble network, with a proven track record of managing afiliate groups, instructing tourists, and leading public masterclasses.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Performance Excellence: Core main dancer and lead singer for a professional ethnographic ensemble since 2015.
- Extensive Dance Repertoire: Deep knowledge of numerous regional traditional folk dances, steps, and cultural contexts.
- Cross-Cultural Instruction: Experienced in teaching traditional dances to tourists and foreign-language groups.
- Public Engagement & Masterclasses: Skilled cultural activist capable of leading interactive dance workshops for large public audiences during major events.
- Dance Instruction & Leadership: Experienced in managing amateur dance groups, breaking down complex choreography, and training future ensemble members.
PROFESSIONAL CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
2023 to Present, Yerevan, Armenia
- Group Leadership: Managed and directed the afiliate amateur dance group of the Masunk ensemble for two years.
- Talent Development: Trained, mentored, and prepared amateur dancers in authentic folk steps, serving as the core pipeline for developing and qualifying new dancers to join the main performing ensemble.
2015 to Present, Yerevan, Armenia
- "Masunk" Traditional Folk Song and Dance Group, Lead Singer, Main Dancer and Instructor.
- Lead Performer: Joined in 2015 as a core member; serve as the primary vocalist and one of the main dancers, recreating authentic Armenian dance rituals and ethnographic folk songs.
- International and Tourist Instruction: Serve as the primary instructor responsible for teaching and introducing traditional Armenian dances to tourists and diverse foreign-language groups visiting the ensemble.
- Public Masterclasses & Activism: Act as a public cultural activist during major civic and cultural events, leading large-scale open-air masterclasses to engage the community and teach traditional steps on the spot.
- Dance Teaching: Actively teach and pass down a vast selection of traditional folk dances, maintaining the authentic style and roots passed down from the group's founder, Rudik Haroyan.
- Project Ideation: Actively take part in all ongoing projects as a key helper, contributing creative ideas that help shape the group's programs and public events.
Festivals and Media:
- Participated in various national and international contests, festivals, and TV projects, earning diplomas and awards with Masunk Amateur (Afiliate) Dance Group (Group Leader and Instructor).
TRADITIONAL DANCE REPERTOIRE AND HERITAGE FOCUS
- Diverse Folk Repertoire: Mastered and performed a wide range of traditional ethnographic dances from various historical regions of Armenia.
- Authentic Formats: Focused on performing and teaching these dances in their pure, unstylized ethnographic formats to preserve the original folk roots.
LANGUAGES
- Armenian: Native
- English: Professional Working Proficiency
- Russian: Professional Working Proficiency