At least 200 individuals have been evacuated from landslide-hit areas of the Guria region in Georgia’s west following heavy rains, flood, and landslides last week that killed three, local authorities said on Monday, Azernews reports, citing Agenda.
60-year-old killed when street sweeper backs up and runs into him, Georgia cops say Raleigh News & Observer
“The Book of Ruth: The Ballet” flyerSAN DIEGO—Armenian-American composer George Kirazian’s new and expanded ballet based on “The Book of Ruth: A Ballet” will premiere as a full-scale dance production by Mojalet Dance Collective. The performance will be held on September 30 and October 1 at the Poway Performing Arts Center, along with three additional contemporary dance pieces.
“The Book of Ruth” was composed by author, professor, and composer George Kirazian, and will be directed by Faith Jensen-Ismay, Mojalet’s Founder and Artistic Director. Based on the Old Testament story of the Hebrew woman Ruth and her family, the new work will combine traditional and modern dance components, choreographed by Jensen-Ismay to Kirazian’s music, recorded by The Parnassus Ensemble of San Diego.
Mojalet did a workshop production at the Vine Arts Village in April 2023, and the strong audience response prompted Jensen-Ismay and the company to expand the production to an extended version with additional music composed by Kirazian, which will premiere on the Poway stage.
“I am again excited to bring the classic story of ‘The Book of Ruth’ to life through the lens of dance. A story of dedication, perseverance, loyalty, acceptance and redemption gives us hope in humanity and for a more positive future,” said director Faith Jensen-Ismay.
When the elder Jewish woman Naomi loses her husband and both her sons, she implores both her widowed daughters-in-law to go back to their native land of Moab. One of them, Orpah, leaves. The other, Ruth, insists on staying with her mother-in-law Naomi, to embrace her people and her God. They go to Judah, where after a period of poverty, they meet a generous landowner named Boaz, who changes their lives.
“The Book of Ruth” in the Old Testament might well be the world’s first short story. The story also teaches its audience that love and devotion can heal after great losses and enable us to rise above our harmful prejudices against others.
Mojalet Dance Collective has been entertaining and inspiring San Diego audiences for more than 30 years with traditional, modern and contemporary dance productions, including many world premieres, as they are dedicated to developing new and groundbreaking work. Artistic Director Faith Jensen-Ismay has an extensive history as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, working throughout the entire county of San Diego and beyond.
A longtime member of the Armenian community who helped establish the first Armenian Church in San Diego, composer George Kirazian is a retired college instructor of Humanities, English Literature and Composition, and Opera Appreciation. Born and raised in New Jersey, he completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at New York University and taught English Literature and Composition at Grossmont College for nearly 40 years and served as Chairman of the English Department. He also taught Opera and Music Appreciation at San Diego State University. He is a longtime resident of San Diego with his wife Dikranouhi. They have three daughters: Yvette (husband John Harpootian), Andrea (husband Steven Urrutia) and Lisa (husband Steve Kradjian), and six grandchildren: Mark, Eric, Zari, Dante, Ani and Mari.
Kirazian’s musical compositions include “The Book of Ruth: A Ballet,” various art songs, hymns, and a new version of “The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church,” which has been performed and recorded by Pacific Camerata of San Diego, the Paros Chamber Choir of Armenia, and also performed by members of the Armenian Church of San Diego. He has also published fiction and non-fiction: “Easy Writing: A Practical Guide for Practically Everybody”; “A Time for Fathers” (short novel), and five young reader books: “The Sleeping Violet,” “Perry the Peacock,” “Beyond the Koala Kingdom,” “Leo and the Mulberry Flute,” and “The Princess of December.” To learn more about Kirazian and his work, visit his website.
The two performances of “The Book of Ruth: A Ballet” will be held on Saturday, September 30 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, October 1 at 2 p.m. at the Poway Performing Arts Center. The performances will be combined with three other original dance pieces performed by Mojalet: The Requiem (Excerpts composed by W.A. Mozart); Bubbles (Featuring music of Johann Strauss II); and Liquid Gold (Music mix by Jensen-Ismay), all directed by Jensen-Ismay.
Resident dancers performing in the production include: Amylin Canaria, Alyssa Combs, Avery Goudswaard, Jasmyn Hamblin, Alia Ismay, Robby Johnson, Alyssa Kinnear, Kathryn McLean, Nef Valle, Nicole Wooding, and Christina Wutz.
To purchase tickets, visit the website. To donate to the production or for general information, visit the Mojalet Dance Collective website or all (858) 243-1402.
16:30, 9 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone on Saturday with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili to discuss issues related to the current situation in the region, the Prime Minister’s Office reported.
PM Pashinyan and PM Garibashvili discussed the worsening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh due to the illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor, the accumulation of Azerbaijani troops around Nagorno-Karabakh, and the increase in tension on the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.
“Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized his commitment to the Prague agreements of October 6, 2022 and Brussels agreements of May 14, 2023, as well as to the approaches to solving all issues exclusively through diplomatic means and in a constructive atmosphere.
The Prime Minister of Georgia stated that he is ready to make necessary efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.
The sides emphasized the settlement of existing problems through peaceful negotiations.
PM Nikol Pashinyan reaffirmed that he is ready to have urgent discussions with the President of Azerbaijan,” the Prime Minister’s Office added.
Yerevan (AFP) – The United States and Armenia opened military drills on Monday, the latest sign of Yerevan drifting from Moscow’s orbit as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshapes post-Soviet relations.
The exercises come amid mounting frustration in Armenia over what it sees as Russia’s failure to act as a security guarantor amid mounting tensions with its historic rival Azerbaijan.
Exercise Eagle Partner opened with some 85 US soldiers to train around 175 Armenian soldiers through September 20, according to the US Army Europe and Africa Command.
Armenia’s defence ministry said the exercises aimed to “increase the level of interoperability” with US forces in international peacekeeping missions.
The US military said the drills would help Armenia’s 12th Peacekeeping Brigade meet NATO standards ahead of an evaluation later this year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Armenia’s decision not to conduct drills with the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) alliance and instead work with the United States required “very deep analysis”.
“Of course, we will try to comprehend and understand all this. But in any case we will do so in close partnership dialogue with the Armenian side,” he said.
The United States brushed off the Kremlin critique and pointed to Russia’s wars with both Ukraine and Georgia.
“I think that given Russia has invaded two of its neighbours in recent years, it should refrain from lecturing countries in the region about security arrangements,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
He said that the United States has had security cooperation with Armenia since 2003 and called the latest drill “a routine exercise that is in no way tied to any other events.”
But Moscow last week summoned Armenia’s ambassador to complain about “unfriendly steps” the country was taking.
The ministry said Armenia’s envoy was given a “tough” rebuke but insisted that the countries “remain allies.”
“It sounded more like a threat to Yerevan than a description of reality,” said Gela Vasadze, an independent political analyst.
“In fact, Russian-Armenian relations have reached a strategic impasse,” he told AFP.
‘Weakened Russia’
In Yerevan, residents expressed frustration over Russia’s lack of military and political support as tensions with Azerbaijan flared again.
Mariam Anahamyan, 27, told AFP that Armenia had made a mistake by “pinning its hopes on the Russians”.
“So now let’s try with the Americans. The consequences may be bad but not trying would be even worse,” she said.
For Arthur Khachaduryan, a 51-year-old security guard, “Russia failed to keep its commitments during the war and has even made our situation worse.”
He was referring to a brief but bloody conflict in 2020 for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist region in Azerbaijan.
Russia brokered a ceasefire and deployed 2,000 peacekeepers to the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.
But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Moscow was either “unable or unwilling” to control the passage.
His government has accused Azerbaijan of closing the road and blockaded the mountainous region, spurring a humanitarian crisis in Armenian-populated towns.
Pashinyan also recently claimed that Armenia’s historic security reliance on Russia was a “strategic mistake”.
Bogged down in its invasion and isolated on the world stage, “weakened Russia is rapidly losing influence in its Soviet-era backyard”, said independent analyst Arkady Dubnov.
“Armenians are frustrated with Russia, which failed to help them during the Karabakh war and its aftermath,” he said, adding that Moscow “also seems to be lacking a clear plan, strategy in the Caucasus”.
‘New allies’
Nagorno-Karabakh was at the centre of two wars between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
In the 1990s, Armenia defeated Azerbaijan and took control of the region, along with seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan.
Thirty years later, energy-rich Azerbaijan, which built a strong military and secured the backing from Turkey, took revenge.
After the 2020 war, Yerevan was forced to cede several territories it had controlled for decades.
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains volatile and Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of moving troops near the region recently, raising the spectre of a fresh large-scale conflict.
The European Union and United States have taken a lead role in mediating peace talks but have so far failed to bring about a breakthrough.
“The Kremlin has no resources — neither the will — to help Armenia and is letting Azerbaijan and Turkey to pursue their objectives,” Dubnov said.
“In that situation, Armenia is trying to forge strong new alliances.”
© 2023 AFP