Washington D.C.

The Washington, DC Chapter of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society.

The Washington, DC chapter was founded in 1982 and has evolved over time. In the early decades, the DC chapter had a theater company which staged plays annually by Armenian and foreign playwrights. The chapter also featured concerts by talented choirs and dance ensembles from Armenia. It also invited Armenian intellectuals both from Armenia and various Diasporan communities. During that time, through the efforts of Kourken Assadourian, the chapter established two Hamazkayin Foundations: the Assadourian and Semerjian Foundations. Although no longer active, these foundations supported Hamazkayin’s local and pan-diasporan needs for years.

In recent years, the DC chapter has become especially active, offering a number of events – from movie screenings like Aurora Sunrise and My Sweet Land, to a lecture on khatchars with photojournalist Hawk Khatcherian, a jingalov hatz cooking workshop with women from Artsakh, folk singing concert with Ashough Nazeli, and much more. The chapter also runs the Van Dance Ensemble. The DC Armenian-American community is unique in many ways, including in its activism. The chapter strives to provide meaningful, thought-provoking events that enrich the community while also being a part of the community.

Van dance ensemble – juniors group (6-13): 20 dancers

Van dance ensemble – seniors group (14+): 16 dancers