Armenia & Karabakh Arts & Culture Armenian dance Berd Ensemble

From Armenia to the World: Berd Ensemble’s Legacy

April 3, 2025

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The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

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By Hena Aposhian

Special to the Mirror-Spectator

In 1963, in an era when national cultural activities were neither encouraged nor widely common in Armenia, Boris Gevorgyan, a man with a vision, founded a traditional Armenian dance collective. What began as a small group soon flourished, and the Berd Ensemble was founded, which grew into the biggest Armenian dance studio.

Founding Berd Ensemble was a daring leap for Gevorgyan, yet he saw great potential in dance. To him, it was a powerful expression of a nation’s identity. The name Berd [“fortress”] was chosen after the Armenian national dance which is rooted in “Gmbetakhagh,” a ritual dance-game from the historical Armenian region of Vaspourakan.

Boris Gevorgyan, Berd Ensemble, 1970

It did not take long for the collective to expand, welcoming not just children but adults as well. With this development, new doors opened for Berd, allowing them to participate at dance competitions and festivals across other Soviet countries, and then different parts of Europe.

Its first international appearance was in 1967, four years after the collective’s establishment, at an international festival in Riga, Latvia, where it was awarded with the title of Laureate. During the 1970s and 1980s, Berd’s participation in international festivals and events became more frequent in countries such as Greece, Hungary, Algeria, Austria and more, where it received widespread recognition and international awards.

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Berd Ensemble established itself as more than just a place to learn traditional and folk dance; it became a passionate force dedicated to preserving Armenia’s rich cultural heritage.

In the 1990s, Gevorgyan passed the role of choreographer to his life-long student and son, Karen Gevorgyan, confident that he would preserve and expand his efforts. Karen Gevorgyan’s choreography, noted for its national character, enriched traditional Armenian dances by adding new layers to it. Meanwhile, his elder son, Stepan, became the director of the ensemble, playing a key role in gaining global recognition for Berd.

While tradition has long been carefully preserved, Karen Gevorgyan sought to take it a step further by allowing dances to evolve by taking a more innovative ethnographic approach, breathing new life into Armenian dance. His passion led him to read and translate historical dance texts, travel extensively to seek traditional dances from villages, meticulously researching and refining each movement. In other words, his work extended beyond the ensemble — he ventured into different regions, decoding, documenting the migration stories and cultural heritage of different parts of Armenia. With his artistic vision, he transformed these collected traditions into a professional, dynamic expression of Armenian dance and presented them on stage through Berd. He has created over 50 new dances, all which are considered as classical examples of Armenian national dance.

The dances trace their roots all the way through the history of the Armenian people — traditional Armenian dance reaches back thousands of years, with each movement passed down through tradition. Each dance is a story that serves as a testament to faith, resilience, and the radiant spirit of the people.

Through dance, Berd allows Armenians to journey deep into the heart and land of their ancestors, going back to Taron and Mush, Tigranakert and Vaspurakan, Musaler, Kharberd and Hamshen.

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

Topics: Armenian dance, Berd Ensemble

People: Boris Gevorgyan

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One of the ensemble’s bigger milestones was marked in the year 2000, during its participation in the International Competition of Traditional and Folklore Dances in Dijon, France, where it competed against 25 other countries and brought home the Golden Medal.

The Armenians in the diaspora appear to deeply value Berd’s efforts and performances, as these events provide a powerful connection to Armenia, helping them maintain and preserve their Armenian identity from afar. This connection plays a key role in deciding where the ensemble performs next. Rena Gevorgyan, representative and communications lead of Berd, mentions how they actively consider the diasporan communities, often receiving direct requests for performances in their regions. “The goal is to reach and perform at every Armenian community across the globe.”

That being said, a large number of their audience members are non-Armenians, yet they are just as engaged.

With all the international acclaim, their achievements were celebrated at home as well, where they were recognized as the Berd “Honored” Dance Ensemble of Armenia while Boris Gevorgyan became an Honored People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

While staying true to its roots, the ensemble is constantly innovating, creating new dances and stage performances. If they’re not on stage, they’re preparing for the next show, ensuring that every piece they present is authentically Armenian. Berd believes that tradition holds endless inspiration — there are always new stories to uncover and history to draw inspiration from.

Today, the Ensemble has made its mark not only in the Armenian communities but the global stage, captivating audiences in over 40 countries and performing for more than a million people worldwide. Their latest endeavor was their solo performance in France, at the Casino De Paris on March 2, 2025, with a packed hall and more than 1,500 attendees, the performance transported the audience to Armenia during the two unforgettable hours that the ensemble took over the stage.

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