While in Yerevan, Armenia, I have been privileged to be able to practice my Russian language skills on a 24/7 basis, allowing for cross-cultural communication and understanding. I’ve spoken to shopkeepers, grocery store employees, food vendors, waiters and waitresses, all in Russian. But I often like to say that beyond my verbal language skills, I “speak” another language: the language of tap dance.
When I was packing my bags for my eight weeks in Yerevan, I knew I wanted to bring my tap shoes with me. In addition to my love of language, tap dancing constitutes a large portion of who I am. At the very least, I knew I wanted to dance for my host family; I had forewarned them in my letter to them that I was a tap dancer, что я танцую чечетку/степ (in Russian, there are two words that translate into tap dance, and I’ve noticed that depending on the generation, one word may be preferred over another). But in the back of my mind, I had wondered whether I might get the opportunity to put my shoes on and “shed” on some wood somewhere in the city.
Yerevan is resplendent with jazz music and jazz clubs. In my experience in the US, most of my friends don’t know much about jazz, or would prefer to listen to another genre. But among the Armenians with whom I’ve interacted, jazz is much more widespread; it’s an important part of Armenian culture. Restaurants will play smooth jazz, or you can head to a club and witness the joy of a live performance. One Saturday early on in our time in Yerevan, three of my friends and I attended a performance at Ulikhanyan Jazz Club on Sayat-Nova Avenue, right in the center of the city. The performance absolutely blew me away; I’ve seen live jazz in DC, where I’m from, and in New York City, but this was a completely different experience. The talent, the skill, the energy was unmatched. It was a treat!
The next day, I scrolled through Ulikhanyan’s Instagram page, and noticed that they hold jam sessions every Monday. In tap dance, much like in jazz, a jam session allows for participants to improvise, play with one another, and share their talents. I messaged the organizer of the jam session, sending a few videos of my dancing, along with an introduction — entirely in Russian, of course. He responded almost immediately, provided me with more information and contact details, and with that, I was invited to participate in their next jam session!
Monday night had finally arrived. After the first set, Rafael, that night’s organizer (and also a brilliant pianist) told me I’d be going on next. He and a few of the musicians rolled up some of the carpet so that I’d have some space on the wood to dance, I put my shoes on, and we played together. Thankfully, I was familiar with the song, “Billie’s Bounce,” and about halfway through, the bassist began to trade with me: he’d play a few bars, and then give a chance to respond. It may have been a little rocky at first, but it quickly became easier. Our verbal and written conversation in Russian had turned into a musical conversation of jazz and tap dance, of rhythm and music. That Monday also happened to be July 4th: tap dance, an American art form, couldn’t be a better way to celebrate!
After the first jam session in which I participated on July 4th. From left to right pictured is me, Rafael Petrossian, and the bassist with whom I traded a few bars during our set
Following the performance, Rafael informed me that they were having a performance the following day at the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall, also known as Yerevan’s State Philharmonia, located adjacent to Republic Square. July 5th, the day of this performance, was Armenia’s Constitution Day, was a выходной день (a holiday) for us, so of course I agreed to dance with him. The evening was a wonderful success, and I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity to dance with Rafael and his friends.
After the performance of Armstrong Dixie at Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall. Pictured on the left are Rafael Petrossian and Dave Geodakyan, the two organizers of the weekly jam sessions at Ulikhanyan.
Armenian kindness, generosity, and hospitality is unmatched. I have since performed at Ulikhanyan one other time during another one of their jam sessions; that time, my grammar teacher from Yerevan State University, along with a few other friends and the American Councils Resident Director were also in attendance.
At the second jam session, pictured with my grammar teacher, Diana Gazarova
Yerevan is a beautiful city; speaking Russian and tap dancing have only made it more beautiful for me. If you speak to someone in their native language, you speak to their heart. We don’t just do that with Russian, but also with music, dance, and rhythm. A truly unforgettable experience.
Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program
Yerevan, Armenia
Summer 2022
More information about Max's tap career can be found on his website and YouTube channel!