Gagik 1 — Gagik Tadevosyan

Armenia & Karabakh Arts & Culture Ballet Petrossian Theatre and Dance Company

Gagik Tadevosyan: A Grand Pas from Parpi to LA

April 4, 2024

by

Artsvi Bakhchinyan

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YEREVAN/LOS ANGELES — Dancer Gagik Tadevosyan was born in 1993 in the village of Parpi, in Armenia. He started studying Latin American dance when he was 11, later he was accepted into the Armenian Berd Ensemble Studio and also studied in Armenian National Folk Ensemble. At 17, he became a soloist in the Berd Ensemble. In 2016 he graduated from the Khachatur Abovian Armenian National University with a master’s degree in dance. He performed in the ballets “Spartacus,” “Aznavour La Bohema” and “Two Sons” at Yerevan Spendiarian Theater of Opera and Ballet.

In 2018, Gagik moved to the US and began his dancer career as a principal dance teacher in heritage dance and cultural academy and a soloist dancer in Petrossian Dance Theatre Company since 2019. He took the Grand Prix in Paris, in 2019 at the International Dance Championship. Currently Tadevosiyan is a soloist and principal dancer of Petrossian Theatre and Dance Company. He has participated in dozens of international dance festivals and is a member of the International Dance Council – CID UNESCO.

Dear Gagik, are your genes “choreographic?”

First of all, thank you for your attention. There are no professional dancers in our family. However, my mother practiced dancing for a long time during her school years, and since then, she has developed a great love for dancing, which she then passed on to me and guided me in this direction, making me love and appreciate this beautiful art.

Few Armenian boys dance Latin dances, and you have been practicing them since childhood. Didn’t they tell you that those dances are not suitable for an Armenian boy?

Of course, even though there were such conversations at that time, especially in the village, I felt that many people wanted to learn to dance. No matter how much they talked and joked, they all were watching with great pleasure, I can even say, with envy, when I danced with my partner at some event, who was my cousin.

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They say every successful artist has a successful teacher whom he or she remembers with gratitude throughout his life. Who is that for you?

At first, when I was learning sports dances, my teachers were young beginners, and when I started dancing more seriously, already in the “Arin-Berd” ethnographic dance group, my master was my beloved teacher, the late Boris Gevorgyan. He laid a solid foundation of ethnographic and folk dances in me, to whom I will remain grateful throughout my life. Later, my very dear and respected ballet master Rudolph Kharatyan, as well as choreographer Hayk Avagyan, made a great contribution to the development of classical dance in me.

What was military service like for a professional dancer?

Of course, military service poses a significant obstacle to the further professional growth and development of a dancer, but my time in the army was spent in the opera, alongside my training. Given the current situation of the country, as well as its geographical location, military service is necessary, but if we aspire to nurture talented artists, this matter requires regulation. However, exceptions are often made for the best artists.

Gagik Tadevosyan on stage

I remember you from the full-length ballet “Two Suns” directed by Rudolph Kharatyan, a unique work in the history of Armenian ballet, which was broadcast many times on the Mezzo TV channel.

“Two Suns” was a wonderful performance that had a significant impact on my development as a ballet artist. It was a very enriching time, filled with classes and rehearsals, and there were artists from different countries around the world, so collaborating with them also left a profound impression. It was a performance where the dancer seemed sanctified, with powerful theatrical strength. Those were truly remarkable days, and I miss them. Mr. Kharatyan did an outstanding job, which is certainly appreciated.

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

Topics: Ballet, Petrossian Theatre and Dance Company

People: Gagik Tadevosyan

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Both the Heritage Dance and Cultural Academy and the Petrossian Theatre and Dance Company have mostly Armenian auditoriums. And have you cooperated with non-Armenian dance groups?

Heritage is our school academy, where almost all the children are Armenian, and naturally, the audience is mostly Armenians. The Petrossian Theatre and Dance Company, on the other hand, is a group created by professional dancers where the best artists of different nationalities perform. Since we are surrounded by the Armenian community, our audience is mostly Armenians, but there are also foreigners. We have big plans to tour other countries and have received various invitations.

You performed in programs dedicated to Charles Aznavour and Alla Pugacheva at the Petrossian Theatre and Dance Company. I believe it was a delightful experience.

Yes, we have three big staged plays on the schedule: “Once Again Charles Aznavour,” directed by Narine Petrossian, dedicated to the chansonnier; “Million Red Roses,” dedicated to Russian pop diva Alla Pugachova; and “Aram Khachaturian: Masquerade Ball,” in which I am a solo dancer in one of the main roles. They are exceptionally beautiful and wonderful performances, where dance styles of different genres are interwoven, based on the classics

It would be interesting to know the details of the last competition in Paris, where you won the Grand Prix. Did you represent Armenia?

I participated in the Paris competition as an Armenian artist and choreographer of the Armenian dance troupe. I performed an improvisation, embodying the character of Charles Aznavour to one of his own songs. The performance was met with great joy and applause from both the audience and the participants, and they demanded an encore of the number, during which I won the Grand Prix. Additionally, the students of our school won the “Children’s Competition” section, also receiving the Grand Prix.

Some parts of California do bear a resemblance to your native Parpi, am I right? Does the local landscape help ease your homesickness in any way?

This state attracts me with its warmth, as I love summer very much. Yes, here there is something in common with the nature of Armenia. I feel a touch of Armenia here; the landscape often reminds me of my village, my homeland. The stones here are also similar, further invoking memories of Armenia. My Armenian students help ease my homesickness; they give me great strength and energy. If my work were not related to children, I assure you, I wouldn’t have much to keep me here.

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