Vanoush Khanamerian

Who was Vanoush Khanamerian?

Vanoush Gerasimich Khanamerian was an Armenian ballet, traditional and folkloric dance choreographer. He first started as a ballet dancer, his first major performance was in the wedding scene of a famous Armenian ballet production "Anoush." As the years went on, he grew to love the art of dancing and began to play major solo parts in different ballet productions. Khanamerian became very famous, playing numerous ballet solos throughout the Asian continent and abroad. He was later appointed to be the Artistic Leader of the State Dance Ensemble of Armenia; which became one of the greatest challenges in his life. For over twenty years Khanamerian lead the Dance Ensemble of Armenia to be one of the best in the former Soviet Republic. Khanamerian managed to create and direct hundreds of different dances while he was the Artistic Leader, many of which are still being danced and will continue to be danced by dance groups around the world. Khanamerian became a true legend in the art of dancing through his cultural and folk dances.

He joined the Alexander Spendiarian Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet in 1941. In 1947, Khanamerian got his first major part as "Nerso" in Aram Khachaturyan's "Gayane" Ballet, and soon after that became one of the soloists in the Yerevan Ballet and Opera House. Aram Khachaturyan was present at one of the concert; he expressed his feelings by saying "The way Khanamerian danced made me realize how cultural and Armenian my music really is." Khanamerian quickly became known in the Ballet Academy when he played the role of "Sasuntsi Davit," which he performed so well that a very famous Armenian sculptor at the time, Yervand Cochar, asked him to be the model for the statue of "[David of Sasun]," one of many famous statues in Yerevan, Armenia today. Khanamerian played in as many as twenty famous ballet productions like "Vanoush Arshak," "Sevan," "Khantoot" and "Marmar" just to name a few, but he became famous for his role in "[Spardak]." Khanamerian also directed three ballet productions, two of which won national awards in Moscow.