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21st Century AGBU Philadelphia Cotillion Connects Generations

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  • 21st Century AGBU Philadelphia Cotillion Connects Generations

    AGBU Press Office
    55 East 59th Street
    New York, NY 10022-1112
    Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
    Fax: 212.319.6507
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: www.agbu.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    Wednesday, July 1, 2009

    Twenty-first Century AGBU Philadelphia Cotillion Connects Generations of
    Armenian Americans

    On Saturday, June 20, 26 young men and women ushered the 2009 AGBU
    Philadelphia cotillion into the 21st century with a program of powerful
    words, music, dance and multimedia displays at the Sheraton-University
    City in Philadelphia.

    In an elegant integration of Armenian heritage and contemporary American
    culture, young Armenian Americans took part in the event which
    symbolically marked their entry into multidimensional Armenian-American
    adult life. During the event, they performed a sophisticated Armenian
    dance under the direction of longtime choreographer Fran Torcomian.

    An elaborate keepsake program booklet, rich with biographical accounts
    and photographs, captured the essence of the participants, which the
    cotillion organizers referred to as "cotillionaires." This term was
    coined to describe "a new kind of cotillion participant, male or female,
    who is all-at-once proud of the past yet grounded in the present and
    confident to link the two together," said cotillion parent Melissa
    Selverian, who co-chaired the event with husband Richard and cotillion
    parents Yvonne and Paul Fereshetian.

    "After all, these are the young men and women who ventured bravely off
    of Facebook to bridge the gap between the digital social network and the
    more-than-40-year-old live cotillion network. In so doing, they changed
    the cotillion for the better, making it more relevant in the lives of
    young Armenian Americans today," she explained.

    Mixing the live and digital social networks and the past with the
    present, the cotillion featured a through-the-years multimedia
    presentation and an intergenerational dance starring many of the
    participants. Katrina Selverian produced and presented a biographical
    video and slide show of the participants and the Ararat Dance Ensemble,
    led by directors Toros Torcomian and Christopher Torcomian, captured the
    timelessness of the affair in a captivating impromptu performance that
    included the leaders and members of the original ensemble from three
    decades ago.

    Guest speaker, alumna Julie Paretchan of the AGBU Cotillion of 1999,
    confirmed the enduring power and relevance of the cotillion to the
    city's Armenian-American community. She reflected on how the cotillion
    had brought her parents together in marriage, and had allowed her
    brother to form strong friendships with fellow Armenians. She said that
    she also benefited from many friendships as a result of the cotillion.
    She recently resettled in Philadelphia and she is proud to lead the next
    generation of Armenian Americans by volunteering her time with the newly
    formed local AGBU Young Professionals committee--YP Philadelphia.

    "Cotillion alumni have a special connection with the event," Selverian
    told guests, describing how the 2009 event "grew from the hearts and
    minds of cotillion alums."

    "Countless friendships made in cotillions over the last four decades are
    long-lasting and unsurpassed," she said. "I know my husband Richard and
    my co-chairs Yvonne and Paul Fereshetian share these sentiments as
    cotillion alumni."

    Longtime AGBU Philadelphia members and community leaders, George
    Yacoubian and Liz Barone, toasted the participants and the committee for
    rejuvenating the affair.

    Special thanks were extended to the sponsors of the evening,
    particularly Clara Marie Samelian, who honored the memory of her
    parents, John and Araxie Samelian, on the back cover of the keepsake
    program booklet. The Samelians were longtime members of AGBU
    Philadelphia, and Araxie Samelian was the co-founder of the Philadelphia
    cotillion dinner dance, which debuted in 1966.

    The 2009 cotillionaires are Michael Berge Alexanian, Stephanie Hripsime
    Alexanian, Niki Nubar Arakelian, Serop Buldukyan, Cerise Setta
    Fereshetian, Damon Raffi Fereshetian, Jasmine Ani Fereshetian, Allison
    Sonya Injaian, James Keshgegian, Karine Keshgegian, Richard Avedis
    Keshgegian, Harout Nalbandian, Gabrielle Nazeni Pakhtigian, Garineh Ara
    Panosian, Katrina Maritza Selverian, Sara Seerarpy Selverian, Maritsa
    Suzanne Sherenian, Michael Sherenian, Talene Beatrice Soghomonian,
    Alyssa Talene Sookiasian, Paul Vartan Sookiasian, Mark Tekirian, Alex
    Deron Torcomian, Ana Francesca Torcomian, Christopher Torcomian and
    Matthew Robert Zakian.

    Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest
    non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
    preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
    educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving some
    400,000 Armenians on six continents.
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