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The 52nd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival will feature traditional and contemporary cultures of Armenia and Catalonia on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., June 27 to July 1 and July 4 to 8, 2018.  The 2018 Folklife Festival will bring together hundreds of artisans, designers, musicians, dancers, and cooks from Armenia, Catalonia, and Diaspora communities in North America to highlight the importance of cultural heritage enterprise in the face of change.

The Armenia: Creating Home program will explore the ways in which creative enterprises such as artisan craft, local food, and wine production sustain communities, foster intergenerational learning, stimulate economies, and anchor cultural identities in Armenia and its many diasporas.

As a part of the Armenia program, the Handes! Armenian Dance Summit will provide a unique and participatory presentation of Armenian dance. Handes! will take place during the second weekend of the Festival, July 6 to 8, 2018. Armenian dance groups and individuals are invited to participate in master classes with fellow dancers from Armenia and across North America, sharing technique, choreography, music, and experience.

Groups will also have the opportunity to participate in and lead public workshops, sharing Armenian dance with Festival visitors. Selected groups will have the opportunity to perform on the main stage at the Festival. All are encouraged to participate in folk music performances throughout each day. The event will culminate on July 7 with dance performances and an evening concert featuring Armenian folk music.

To apply to participate in the Handes! Armenian Dance Summit, please register online.

For more information, please contact Milena Oganesyan at OganesyanM@si.edu.