Internationally recognized dance instructor Tom Bozigian will teach a course, Armenian Studies 120T-Armenian Dance, on Friday, February 4 and Saturday, February 5, 2005. The Friday session begins at 5:00 PM and continues until 10:00 PM in the South Gym, Room 134 on the Fresno State campus. Saturday’s class runs from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Mr. Bozigian’s dance seminar is sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State.

Regularly enrolled students at Fresno State may take the course without charge. The seminar is open to the public and there are no prerequisites. There is a $50 per person fee for non-students

Tom Bozigian was born in Los Angeles, California to Armenian parents and he was raised and educated in Fresno receiving his B.A. degree in Russian Area Studies.

At the invitation of the Soviet Armenian government in the early 1970’s, Bozigian traveled to Yerevan, Armenia, where he continued his classical and character dance training graduating from the State Choreographic School Sayat Nova in a three-year program. After returning to the United States, he devoted his career to the preservation, performance, and instruction of original Armenian song and dance.

Each year, Bozigian travels to Armenia to continue his research working with various institutions and dance specialists, and at the same time, he visits target areas throughout Armenia for the purpose of drawing comparisons of original dances from both Armenia and the Diaspora.

Bozigian is particularly sought out for his extensive knowledge of Armenian dances from the pre-1915 period. In addition to the dances of the pre-1915 period and the Caucasian Armenian dances, Bozigian specializes in new Armenian folk dances as well as choreography for stage presentation. He regularly tours the Orient and Europe teaching Armenian dance to international folk dance collectives and to groups within Armenian communities.

In 1975 Bozigian founded the International Song and Dance Symposium and directed the one week seminar for 5 years at the University of Hawaii Oahu campus and for 20 years at University of California Santa Barbara campus. Many noted folk dance specialists presented their dance programs at these institutes. Bozigian, who lives in Los Angeles, continues his classical dance training, studies musical arrangement and harmony. He also directs “Hye Bar Entertainment” (a DJ service). Bozigian is fluent in English, Russian and Armenian.

For more information and registration materials, contact the Armenian Studies Program at 559-278-2669.