Armenian festival venerates beloved culture

September 30, 2005
Dallas News
By VERONICA VILLEGAS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

For nearly two months, Rachel Adonian has been learning the traditional dances of her native country along with other members of St. Sarkis Apostolic Church – the only Armenian congregation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
[...]
The countless hours of practice culminate next week for her and about 40 other women, men and children learning the native dances when they take to the stage during the three-day ArmeniaFest.

The festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is held on the grounds of St. Sarkis in Carrollton and is organized by its congregation.
[...]
Festival organizer Paul Kirazian said the dance performances are important to understanding Armenian culture.
[...]
Mr. Kirazian said that each year, the church brings in an Armenian dancer to teach interested members of its congregation and the community.
[...]
This year, the festival is celebrating the 1,600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet with a special history and art exhibit.

And as usual, those attending will be able to enjoy traditional Armenian food.

During the instructor's two-month stay, she lives with a host family.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.