An interview with Tom Bozigian March 13, 2024
Tom was interviewed and the article below was written by Bev Neilson.
Tom is looking forward to returning to see the dancers he met at Salt Spring Festival in 2008. “It’s been a long time”.
Some of his popular dances have been loved around the world for many years: Sweet Girl and Garoon were created for contests in the Armenian Church Youth Organization, in California, where he won ‘the trophy’ for his ‘Armenian’ dance creations. They have remained in many folk dance repertoires. Teen (Khumkhuma) was a traditional dance revived by Tom in his youth, by using Turkish music, and since done to traditional Armenian music.
But that was from his youth; now Tom is focused on featuring dances brought by his grandparents’ generation when they escaped Armenia to settle elsewhere. “These dances need to be preserved. They are hundreds of years old.” Passing on what his research has shown him, he will present dances from different areas of Armenia to Lyrids Festival goers. He will be able to show us on the map, and tell the lore that brings meaning to these very old dances.
At the Salt Spring Island Folk Dance Festival, in 2008, he taught Garoon, Hayr oo Mamoogner and Lorge, Khumkhuma (Teen), Kocharee, Loorke, Sev Acherov Aghcheek and the long celebrated Sweet Girl (Sirun Aghcheek). You may find these in your club’s collection of favourite dances.
Come to the Festival this year to learn from this energetic 86 year old!! He started dancing at Armenian day school at 5 years old. The dances done then were ‘village dances’ presented at his school concerts from 1943 to 1949. Tom’s passion is passing on and preserving dances from his heritage. The dance material Tom presents is exciting and applicable to all levels of dancers.
Tom relates that his great grandfather danced the dances, Agar Magar, Kochari, Pompouri, and Tamzara in Armenia, dances Tom has proudly taught to the folk-dance communities of today. For many years, Tom has represented Armenia and her people through his music, language, and dance. Teaching tours have taken him to several parts of the world where he has been very well received.
Tom is especially pleased to be connecting with the Vancouver area Armenian community, at a workshop to be held during the week before the Festival.
Tom and his wife, Sheree King, also a dancer and choreographer and director of the dance department at Long Beach City College, live in the Los Angeles, California, area, where now the largest concentration of Armenians reside outside of Armenia.
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