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New Jersey Knights and Daughters of Vartan Celebrate 10 Years of Sponsoring Complimentary Youth Dances

NEW YORK, NY - It's Christmas once again! And the word is spreading! The Knights and Daughters of Vartan (New Jersey) are again honoring our Armenian young people by sponsoring, for the tenth consecutive year, the complimentary "Armenian Youth Dance."

This year's Armenian Youth Dance is to be held at St. Leon Armenian Church, Fair Lawn, NJ (12-61 Saddle River Road), on Saturday, December 23. It will begin at 9 o'clock, and features great music (Armenian and American) and food, all without charge. St. Leon's large parking lot offers plenty of free parking.

Mrs. Rosine Hovsepian, chairperson for the dance, promises that "even though the Youth Dances held over the past 10 years have been a big hit with our youth, this year's Armenian Youth Dance will be the biggest and best ever." She continued by saying that in each of the past 10 years (during each of which at least one, and in many years two, such dances were offered by the New Jersey chapters of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan), the attendance has continued to grow, year after year. In the beginning, according to Mrs. Hovsepian, the Youth Dances were held at St. Thomas Armenian Church in Tenafly, with about 350 young Armenians, and went up from there. The numbers at the more recent dances have been about double that. St. Leon Church has been the site for the past several years.

Mrs. Hovsepian gratefully acknowledged the cooperation of both churches, saying that they shared the goals of the sponsoring Knights and Daughters of Vartan chapters, which include bringing Armenian youth together so that they can become better acquainted. She also thanked the members of her committee, as well as the committees for previous Youth Dances, without whose efforts the affair would not enjoy the success that it does.

Past Youth Dances have attracted Armenian youth from not only the Tri-State area, but from such faraway places as Boston and Richmond, Virginia. "In fact," said Mrs. Hovsepian, "there are several couples who met at the Youth Dance and now are married." She said that that is one of the reasons that the Knights and Daughters of Vartan have sponsored the dance for 10 consecutive years.

The Youth Dance was initiated ten years ago through the efforts of Mr. Samuel Demirjian, during the respective chapter tenures of Mrs. Hovsepian and Mr. Jack Karakashian. All of them, together with members of the Daughters of Vartan and of the Knights of Vartan New Jersey chapters, have worked with pleasure to make the dance possible. In addition to the cooperation of the two churches (St. Thomas and St. Leon), several members and non-members have generously given financial assistance, ensuring that the dance remains complimentary every year.

Because it is an "Armenian Youth Dance," admission is strictly limited to Armenian youth, ages 18 to 35 years. Proper attire is required. The committee hopes that everyone cooperates by adhering to these strict rules, so no one is embarrassed. Information: call Mrs. Hovsepian (201-265-1275) / Mrs. Shahdanian (201-664-2014)