People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Norayr Mehrabyan marks his 85th birthday

People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia, recipient of the Movses Khorenatsi Medal, Honored Citizen of Yerevan, and Honored Artist of the Armenian SSR, choreographer Norayr Mehrabyan celebrates his 85th birthday today.

Norayr Mehrabyan has dedicated decades to Armenian dance, representing Armenia admirably on stages worldwide.

The renowned dance figure has performed in over 60 choreographic works, including Beethoven's "Piano Variations," Bizet's "Youth Symphony," Shostakovich's "The Dream of a Dwarf," Rossini's "Tarantella," Orff's "Carmina Burana," Sayat-Nova's "In My World", "Eshkhemed", Komitas' "Apricot Tree," "Crance," "Vagharshapat Dance," Arno Babajanyan's "Nocturne," Yeranyan's "Cilicia," Khachaturian's "Sword Dance", "Pink Girls", "Spring - Yerevan", "Uzundara", "Lezginka", "Shalakho", "Waltz", "Russian Dance", "Lernatiners" dances, V. Hayrapetyan's "Seven Gods," and Elbert's "Grigor the Illuminator," as well as Satyan's "Lilith" rock operas.

He has portrayed 15 characters, including Karen in Aram Khachaturian's "Gayane" ballet, the clown in Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," the groom in Alexander Spendiaryan's "The Greedy One," Paolo in Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Francesca da Rimini" ballet, the clown in Sergei Prokofiev's "Cinderella," Basil in Ludwig Minkus's "Don Quixote," Tybalt in Sergei Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet," among others.

Norayr Mehrabyan also performed with the Leningrad Choreographic Miniatures Ballet Group. He founded the “Barekamutyun” Armenian State Dance Ensemble, served as artistic director of the Yerevan Dance School, and worked as a classical dance instructor, also performing lead roles in the Armenian State Dance Ensemble.

He established dance groups and ensembles within Armenian communities in Beirut, Cyprus, Aleppo, and Los Angeles, and has collaborated with the national “Ani” and “Yeraz” dance groups in France.

Norayr Mehrabyan has received gold commemorative medals from the RA Ministries of Culture and Diaspora, the Yerevan Municipality, and other awards.