12 The <strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter | November 8, 2008<strong>Community</strong>Media City Ballet to host Clara’s Holiday Tea Partyfor upcoming performance of The NutcrackerEdgar Nikoly<strong>and</strong>ances the part ofthe “The Nutcracker”GLENDALE – Media City Ballet(mcb) has announced that inpreparation for the upcomingholiday season, the companywill present Clara’s Holiday TeaParty, A Holiday Celebration forChildren of All Ages at DescansoGardens. The event will be hostedby Clara, mischievous mice, toysoldiers, live toys <strong>and</strong> the SugarPlum Fairy, all from Peter IllyichTchaikovsky’s perennial favoriteholiday ballet, The Nutcracker.The menu is holiday themed, <strong>and</strong>includes menus for both adults<strong>and</strong> children. Each event attendee’sentry ticket will be enteredinto a raffle for a Family FourPack of Tickets to see Media CityBallet’s 2008 production of TheNutcracker. Clara’s Holiday TeaParty will also feature a NutcrackerBoutique <strong>and</strong> Holiday SilentAuction, along with music <strong>and</strong>characters from The Nutcrackerin a live show.Children will delight in an afternoonof face painting, cookiedecorating, seasonal songs, magic<strong>and</strong> dance, including a previewperformance of The Nutcracker.Party attendees are encouraged todress up for high tea <strong>and</strong> will havea chance to win Clara’s crown or aNutcracker doll.At Clara’s Holiday Tea Party children<strong>and</strong> their families will learnabout the characters in the ballet<strong>and</strong> the plotline, so they will beable to enjoy the ballet on a deeperlevel when seeing it.During the course of Clara’sHoliday Tea Party, tickets forMCB’s upcoming performancesof The Nutcracker, will be availablefor purchase. <strong>Armenia</strong>ndancer, Edgar Nikolyan, will bedancing the part of The Nutcracker.Performances of theballet will be given on Saturday,December 6, 2008 at both 2:00P.M. <strong>and</strong> 7:00 P.M. <strong>and</strong> Sunday,December 7, 2008 at both 2:00P.M. <strong>and</strong> 7:00 P.M. at the AlexTheatre, 216 North Br<strong>and</strong> Boulevard,Glendale, CA.The Nutcracker will be choreographedby Natasha Middleton,the artistic director of the MediaCity Ballet Company. The lavish,magical production will featureaward-winning dancers, dazzlingmagical illusions, special effects<strong>and</strong> aerialists performing fetesof daring. The presentation willbe staged in the tradition of thefamous Ballet Russe de MonteCarlo with spectacular sets designedby leading artists fromWalt Disney Feature Animation<strong>and</strong> Universal Features Animation.Now celebrating its seventhseason under the guidance of ArtisticDirector Natasha Middleton,the Media City Ballet Company isdedicated to providing Los Angeles<strong>and</strong> the surrounding communitieswith quality live ballet productions,utilizing the inspired<strong>and</strong> creative talents of the localcommunity, as well as professionalsfrom around the world. It isthe only ballet company in LosAngeles presenting performancesin the tradition <strong>and</strong> philosophyof the legendary Ballet Russe deSerge Diaghilev. Natasha Middleton’sgr<strong>and</strong>mother, Elena Wortova,was a soloist in the originalEdgar Nikolyan as the Nutcracker.Scenes from Clara’s Holiday Tea Party, A Holiday Celebration for Children of All Ages from previous years.Ballet Russe, which included otherlegendary dancers like Anna Pavlova,George Balanchine, Alex<strong>and</strong>raDanilova <strong>and</strong> Vaslav Nijinsky.Middleton’s father, AndreiTremaine, was a principal dancerwith the Ballet Russe de MonteCarlo, <strong>and</strong> soloist with the BalletNacional de Mexico <strong>and</strong> the ColonOpera Ballet of Buenos Aires. NatashaMiddleton, a “Ballet RusseBaby,” was a principal dancer forher father’s ballet company, PacificBallet Theatre, as well as amember of the Joffrey II BalletCompany in New York City, beforetaking on the responsibilitiesof Artistic Director for Media CityBallet Company.connect: www.mediacityballet.orgwww.descansogardens.orghttp://www.alextheatre.orgCraig Dickens as Herr Drosselmeyer <strong>and</strong> Amara Baptist as Clara.
The <strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter | November 8, 2008 13<strong>Community</strong><strong>Armenia</strong>n-American voters speak outby Lory TatoulianGLENDALE, Calif. – Across America,the electricity was in the air onElection Day, with a mix of anxiety<strong>and</strong> excitement permeating the atmosphere.As c<strong>and</strong>idates repeatedtheir stump speeches one last time<strong>and</strong> television stations 24-hournonstop aired pundits projectingstate-by-state results – votersheaded out to the polls in droves totake part in an election that will godown in the history books. Glendale,California, a bastion of the <strong>Armenia</strong>n-Americancommunity, wasnot absent from the maelstrom.No, the verve was pulsing throughthe streets of the Southern Californiatown as <strong>Armenia</strong>n-Americanstrekked to their balloting places tovote for their favorite c<strong>and</strong>idate.Across Glendale, different opinionsechoed from <strong>Armenia</strong>nsexiting voting booths in variousneighborhoods – from the publicparks that boast newly arrived immigrantcommunities, to countryclubs, tucked away in the hills ofthe city. In these various voting locations,<strong>Armenia</strong>n-Americans helddifferent ideas about who shouldbe the president, the various statepropositions, <strong>and</strong> what directionthe country should take. But themaxim that all the voters adheredto was that it was crucial to exercisetheir democratic right to vote.<strong>Armenia</strong>ns from all walks of life– newly sworn-in citizens, affluentbusiness owners, college students,fifth-generation <strong>Armenia</strong>ns, gays,the elderly, liberals, conservatives– stood in line for hours to participatein the historic election. The<strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter hit the streets ofGlendale on Election Day <strong>and</strong> collecteda slew of colorful opinions<strong>and</strong> raw reactions of voters whowere out voting.Just like KennedyAt Maple Public Park in Glendale,a group of men sitting on a parkbench hovered over a backgammonboard, voicing their opinions onwho they voted for <strong>and</strong> how theirdecision would shape the course oftheir newly adopted country. RubenKademyan had just voted atthe public park voting station <strong>and</strong>he was winding down by watchinganother fierce game of backgammonplayed by two of his friendstaking it out on the wooden board.Ruben <strong>and</strong> his friends collectivelyvoiced their support for BarackObama. As the clicks of the tavloodice danced on the board, themen’s comments oscillated betweencalling out wrong moves onthe board game to verbalizing theirjudgments on the c<strong>and</strong>idates.“Obama is what this countryneeds right now. He is the only oneto do it, just like Kennedy did,” Rubensaid. “It doesn’t bother me whatcolor he is; a man is defined by hischaracter, not what the color of hisskin is. I pray that McCain doesn’twin because just like Bush, he willleave this country is shambles.”Ruben’s friends chimed in fromthe background <strong>and</strong> also showedtheir devotion for the Illinoissenator. “The Number One victoryis that Bush is going to be outof office. Bush is an aboush,” saidRuben’s friend Suren, using an <strong>Armenia</strong>nword meaning dim-witted.“He gave this country such a badname <strong>and</strong> put us in such an awfulplace. I am going to celebrate morethat he will no longer be the leaderof this country,” Suren continued.This country sets anexampleAs an older couple, Ani <strong>and</strong> Hovhannes,who have been citizensRouben Kadimyan supported Barack Obama.since 1995, were exiting the pollingstation at the park, they were proudto mention that they had votedin every election since becomingcitizens. Even though they havealways participated in the electoralprocess, both husb<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> wife expressedtheir genuine enthusiasmabout this particular election.“Obama is going to bring change,”Ani said. “This country has been sostagnant <strong>and</strong> is going in a downwardspiral, <strong>and</strong> the only person that cansalvage our situation is Obama.”Hovhannes spoke about how Mr.Obama’s initiatives would be goodfor <strong>Armenia</strong>.“Even though I have hope thatObama will be the president to bring<strong>Armenia</strong>n issues to the forefront,that is not the only reason why I amvoting for him,” Hovhannes said. “Itis not just about <strong>Armenia</strong>n issues;it’s about this country, the UnitedStates. I want to make sure thatthis country can get back to fulfillingthe promise that it has meantfor all of us. This country sets anexample to all other countries <strong>and</strong>Obama is the only one to put usback on track,” Hovaness said.The poll inspectorSeven blocks away from the park, inthe recreation room of the Churchof Perfect Liberty, poll inspectorAnush Kasemyan was volunteeringher time to prevent mechanicalerrors <strong>and</strong> assist voters. Weeksbefore the election, Anush tooktraining classes at the public library,online exams, became acquaintedwith all the rules, <strong>and</strong> set up the entirepolling area with booths, ballots,computers, <strong>and</strong> documents.A day before Election Day, sheunloaded her car <strong>and</strong> set up thesite. Anush attributes her devotionto the love she has for the UnitedStates <strong>and</strong> her inherent need tohelp people.“I want to be with the people onimportant days like the elections<strong>and</strong> I want to make sure they arecomfortable <strong>and</strong> answer any questionsthey might have,” Anush said.The poll inspector confessed thatshe was up until four in the morningreviewing voting guidebooks<strong>and</strong> memorizing all the rules. Shefeels that her hard work paid offbecause everything was runningvery smoothly <strong>and</strong> no problemsoccurred.With five languages under her belt,she is a useful asset for a communitythat is a mélange of different ethnicities.Sitting next to Anush weretwo Korean-American <strong>and</strong> Mexican-American volunteers. “Many peoplehave language barriers, so knowing<strong>Armenia</strong>n, Persian, Spanish, <strong>and</strong>some other languages really helpsassist those who might feel intimidatedbecause their English is notvery strong,” she explained.An 84-year-old firsttimevoterAcross town, north of GlenoaksBoulevard, which is considered oneof the more affluent areas of thecity, <strong>Armenia</strong>n-Americans wereleaving a fire station that had beentransformed into a polling station.With smiles stretched across faces<strong>and</strong> “I Voted” stickers placed oncashmere sweaters, voters werespeaking to neighbors in line <strong>and</strong>chatting it up about the historic natureof the election.Kevork Panoyan, 84, was takingpart in his very first election.It’s not that he was not a citizenor apathetic toward politics; he hadjust always harbored indifferencefor the c<strong>and</strong>idates who were on theballot. A robust man, he reads theLos Angeles Times every day <strong>and</strong> admitsto reading almost every <strong>Armenia</strong>npublication without regard topolitical affiliation. (The <strong>Armenia</strong>nReporter was one of his favorites.)But this year was different for Mr.Panoyan. He believed that his votewas vital this time around.“This vote is important for theUnited States, for the world, <strong>and</strong> asan <strong>Armenia</strong>n, for my community,”Mr. Panoyan said. “After the collapseof the housing market, the creditcrisis, the ongoing wars, there is noother solution than to have a dramaticshift in policies. I believe thatObama <strong>and</strong> his administration c<strong>and</strong>o this. I also feel that he is going tobe the man who is finally going tobring recognition of the <strong>Armenia</strong>nGenocide, something that this greatcountry needs to officially markas one of the greatest atrocities inmodern history,” Mr. Panoyan said.Mr. Panoyan’s son, Ara, who is adentist, quoted Senator Joe Bidenon his dedication to <strong>Armenia</strong>n-Americans causes. “Biden is a friendof our community <strong>and</strong> he said, ‘IfA McCain voter who wished to remain anonymous.Kevork Panoyan,a first-time voter,with his son Dr.Ara Panoyan.Photos: HilmaShahinian.there is a friend of <strong>Armenia</strong>ns, itis me.’ This makes me see that wehave a prudent <strong>and</strong> well-educatedc<strong>and</strong>idate on our h<strong>and</strong>s, who willhopefully bring justice to the firstGenocide of the 20th century, thatstill goes unrecognized,” said Ara.Barack who?Taking a different view were amother <strong>and</strong> daughter who showedtheir support for Senator JohnMcCain. The voters wanted tostay anonymous, but the mothersaid that she believed that GeorgeBush was unjustly blamed for all ofthe ills of the world.“We cannot blame one man for allof this mess. He was an easy targetto dump all of this on. There were somany other people who made baddecisions <strong>and</strong> placed our country inthe current situation it is in. We cannotjust carelessly say that Bush isthe crux of all of our problems,” thewoman, a real estate agent, said.“In the first eight years, the Democratswere relishing in the financialboom of our country <strong>and</strong> buyinghomes in the hills of this city,”she added. “Now that everythinghas gone sour, they place blame iton Bush as an easy target.”Her daughter, who is in her latetwenties, also voted for Mr. Mc-Cain but did not fully agree withher mother’s sentiments. She said,“I voted for McCain because he doesnot always vote with his party, <strong>and</strong>always followed what he thoughtto be right <strong>and</strong> true. McCain hasspent countless years in the Senate<strong>and</strong> I don’t know who is Obama is.”A perk on Election Day was thatmany businesses were passing outfreebies to customers who showedtheir voting stub. On the cornerof Stocker <strong>and</strong> Pacific Avenues inGlendale, it was like microcosm ofthe United Nations Security Councilmeetings taking place around wickertables on the patio of Starbucks.Friends, families, <strong>and</strong> strangers sataround tables <strong>and</strong> flushed out opinionsabout the day’s progress, whilesipping on their free cups of coffee.Broken promises in thepastA first-time voter, an 18 year-oldstudent at Glendale <strong>Community</strong>College, who wanted to stay anonymous,expressed his excitement atbeing able to vote. The young man,who was dressed in a refined dresssuit, was grabbing a free cup of coffeewhile was dashing off to his secondjob as a graphic designer. He said hehad to hold two jobs while in collegejust to keep afloat <strong>and</strong> pay off his carloan. “I really hope Obama wins, Ibelieve in how he wants to help themiddle class <strong>and</strong> really make educationaccessible <strong>and</strong> affordable for mygeneration,” he said.At the Verdugo Hills CountryClub, an anonymous McCain supportersaid she did not believethat Mr. Obama would really bringchange. “Obama has made so manypromises, <strong>and</strong> I respect him greatly,but I cannot be swayed by his charisma.To be honest with you, I amnot happy with any of the c<strong>and</strong>idates,but choosing McCain wasthe best choice for me out of thetwo,” the older woman said as sheclutched her designer bag to casther vote. “As an <strong>Armenia</strong>n-American,it is important that recognitionis brought to the Genocide,but I have experienced too manybroken promises from c<strong>and</strong>idates. Idon’t want to sound jaded, but thisis my experience.”Genocide recognitionLilit Arvahi, who was not ashamedto be outspoken about her supportfor Mr. Obama, said she believesthat Mr. Obama “represents thegrassroots of American politics <strong>and</strong>the people who have been strugglingto make a living for themselves.”The 24-year-old Pepperdinepsychology graduate student alsofelt that Mr. Obama’s passion wascoming from a place of sincerity.“When he speaks of change, it’s notjust rhetoric. I really believe he isfighting for what is right.”As a gr<strong>and</strong>child of Genocide survivors,Lilit feels that Mr. Obamawill help the <strong>Armenia</strong>n cause inbringing justice to the overlookedGenocide. “Obama is the light atthe end of the tunnel,” she said.Two weeks ago for Halloween, Lilitdressed up as an Obama supporterby sticking Obama bumper stickersall over herself <strong>and</strong> wearing a blousethat had an image of the c<strong>and</strong>idate’sface plastered on the front. “WhatAmerica has been representing tothe world in the past is actually asmall portion of what this countryis really about, <strong>and</strong> that image isabout to change,” Lilit explained.At nighttime, as the final ballotswere counted, numerous partieswere taking place across the city, inliving rooms, parks, clubs, <strong>and</strong> bars.Over 75 people crowded themselvesinto the Sidebar in Glendalefor an Election Day party hosted bythe <strong>Armenia</strong>n <strong>National</strong> Committee.Young professionals, smartlydressed, sipped on drinks <strong>and</strong>shifted their focus from politicaldiscussion with friends to watchingthe television.As breaking news erupted on theairwaves that Barack Obama hadbeen elected the 44th president ofthe United States of America, thecrowd burst out into vociferousapplause. Eyes swelled up in tears,fists were thrown into the air, <strong>and</strong>continuous applause reverberatedacross the room. Everyone was ontheir feet giving a st<strong>and</strong>ing ovationto the man who had just made history.The cheers continued as the resultsscrolled down the screen.When President-elect Obamaappeared on the television fromGrant Park in Chicago, a deafeningsilence blanketed the crowd at thebar, as young <strong>Armenia</strong>n-Americanswatched an African-Americantake the giant podium <strong>and</strong> makepromises to be a president of everyperson in this vast <strong>and</strong> diversecountry.
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