The Art Of Insult?: Brit Riles Armenian Official By Dancing On The Tri

[MosJan]

http://armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&...45c7dc9f95cb8bb

 

 

 

The Art of Insult?: Brit riles Armenian official by dancing on the tricolor

By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow reporter

A dance performance by Nigel Charnock of Great Britain Wednesday night in Yerevan, has created scandal and led to condemnation by the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and a cancellation of a second scheduled appearance.

 

Charnock, who has been called “a national treasure” by one London newspaper, created an international incident here that was called criminal by a member of the Government.

 

The dancer “unconditionally” apologized

While appearing at Stanislavsky State Theater before a full hall of about 600 dance fans, Charnock performed a dance that many in the audience said was like “from a strip club”, making some uncomfortable and challenging conservative definitions of “art”.

 

But the noted dancer’s trouble came when he wrapped his loins in a British flag, then covered his torso in the Armenian tricolor. He also danced on top of each flag. Charnock told reporters that he wore the Armenian flag because he “felt surrounded by Armenian friendship”.

 

But the friendship didn’t extend to the Ministry of Culture, where, yesterday, Minister Hasmik Poghosyan issued a statement saying “it is unacceptable for us that someone who is considered a national treasure to Britain would bring such low-quality art to Armenia.

 

“We honor the high art of English theater and are sure that from the Queen to ordinary British, the pride and treasure for them is Shakespeare. It occurs that the treasures of England have drastically devalued and this is evidenced by Charnock’s performance.”

 

While ordering that Thursday’s performance be cancelled, Poghosyan said it was not a matter of censorship, but that: “He can stand, chew, swallow his flag, but it is forbidden to disrespect the Armenian flag and is punished by criminal law.”

 

During a press conference Thursday, Charnock (www.cueperformance.com/nigel) said he wanted to “unconditionally apologize”, saying that he never imagined that by dancing with and on the flag, he could “insult Armenian dignity”. He further said that in all his performances, “all I’m trying to do is communicate love”.

 

Charnock’s performance was sponsored by the British Council, the art and culture arm of the UK embassy in Armenia.

 

Lusine Ghulyan, project manager of the Council, said the dance was improvisational, and that it had not been rehearsed, nor did the Council anticipate it or the reaction.

 

The dancer said he has performed the dance – titled “Frank” – in other countries (according to his bio, in Denmark, Portugal, Finland and Wales), also using those countries flags, without incident. .

[MosJan]

Flag dance of friendship that stepped on a nation's pride

Tony Halpin in Moscow and Gayane Abrahamyan in Yerevan

The modern dance performance was billed as a frank expression of friendship between Britain and Armenia, the former Soviet republic.

 

Instead, Nigel Charnock’s solo show provoked diplomatic outrage after he was accused by the Armenian Culture Minister of desecrating the national flag.

 

Charnock, a noted dancer, has been called a “national treasure” by British critics and praised for his “eerie brilliance” and “profligate talent” by The Times. The British Council had described Frank, Charnock’s one-hour improvised performance, as “a stand-up, sit-down, leap-around live show that picks you up, calls you names and lets you in on some home truths”.

 

But the name-calling was largely done by Hasmik Poghosyan, the Culture Minister, after Charnock, on his first vist to the country, had placed Armenian and British flags on the stage and danced on them before an audience at the Stanislavsky State Theatre, in Yerevan, on Wednesday.

 

Mrs Poghoysan, 46, who was not at the performance, ordered a second show to be cancelled and accused Charnock of committing a criminal offence punishable by up to a year in prison. She declared: “It is unacceptable for us that someone who is considered a national treasure in Britain would bring such low-quality art to Armenia.

 

“We honour the high art of British theatre and are sure that from the Queen to ordinary Britons the greatest pride and treasure is Shakespeare. It appears that the English perception of treasures has been drastically devalued and Nigel Charnock is its best evidence.”

 

Mrs Poghosyan said that she was not censoring artistic expression but acting to prevent disrespectful treatment of Armenia’s flag.

 

“Charnock may treat the British flag as he likes. He can drop it on the floor, step on it, chew it or swallow it, but it is unacceptable and punishable by law to treat the Armenian flag that way,” she said.

 

At a press conference called swiftly by the British Council, a chastened Charnock, 45, offered his “unconditional apologies”. He told reporters: “All I’m trying to do is communicate love.”

 

The Culture Ministry lifted the ban, provided that Charnock promised not to repeat the offence, but by then it was too late to reschedule the performance and the dancer flew home yesterday.

 

Lucine Ghulyan, arts manager at the British Council in Yerevan, told The Times: “He was trying to show friendship between Armenia and Britain. There was a total misunderstanding of his intentions.

 

“He was showing his affection for Armenia, but when I called the deputy minister to explain this she didn’t want to listen to me. She kept saying that she was offended as a citizen of Armenia to see the flag on the floor.”

 

Ms Ghulyan acknowledged that some in the audience had been offended by sexually suggestive movements during the performance. Charnock had wrapped a Union Jack around his loins and then draped the Armenian tricolor over his naked torso.

 

But Ms Ghulyan said that most had understood the show and many gave him a standing ovation at the end.

 

Charnock, 45, has performed Frank around Europe since 2003, when it was commissioned for the Venice Biennale. He co-founded the DV8 Physical Theatre before establishing his own dance company in 1996.

[phantom22]

Has Charnock "INSULTED ARMENIANESS". Oh please Yerevan, get over it!

 

 

 

Flag dance of friendship that stepped on a nation's pride

Tony Halpin in Moscow and Gayane Abrahamyan in Yerevan

The modern dance performance was billed as a frank expression of friendship between Britain and Armenia, the former Soviet republic.

 

Instead, Nigel Charnock’s solo show provoked diplomatic outrage after he was accused by the Armenian Culture Minister of desecrating the national flag.

 

Charnock, a noted dancer, has been called a “national treasure” by British critics and praised for his “eerie brilliance” and “profligate talent” by The Times. The British Council had described Frank, Charnock’s one-hour improvised performance, as “a stand-up, sit-down, leap-around live show that picks you up, calls you names and lets you in on some home truths”.

 

But the name-calling was largely done by Hasmik Poghosyan, the Culture Minister, after Charnock, on his first vist to the country, had placed Armenian and British flags on the stage and danced on them before an audience at the Stanislavsky State Theatre, in Yerevan, on Wednesday.

 

Mrs Poghoysan, 46, who was not at the performance, ordered a second show to be cancelled and accused Charnock of committing a criminal offence punishable by up to a year in prison. She declared: “It is unacceptable for us that someone who is considered a national treasure in Britain would bring such low-quality art to Armenia.

 

“We honour the high art of British theatre and are sure that from the Queen to ordinary Britons the greatest pride and treasure is Shakespeare. It appears that the English perception of treasures has been drastically devalued and Nigel Charnock is its best evidence.”

 

Mrs Poghosyan said that she was not censoring artistic expression but acting to prevent disrespectful treatment of Armenia’s flag.

 

“Charnock may treat the British flag as he likes. He can drop it on the floor, step on it, chew it or swallow it, but it is unacceptable and punishable by law to treat the Armenian flag that way,” she said.

 

At a press conference called swiftly by the British Council, a chastened Charnock, 45, offered his “unconditional apologies”. He told reporters: “All I’m trying to do is communicate love.”

 

The Culture Ministry lifted the ban, provided that Charnock promised not to repeat the offence, but by then it was too late to reschedule the performance and the dancer flew home yesterday.

 

Lucine Ghulyan, arts manager at the British Council in Yerevan, told The Times: “He was trying to show friendship between Armenia and Britain. There was a total misunderstanding of his intentions.

 

“He was showing his affection for Armenia, but when I called the deputy minister to explain this she didn’t want to listen to me. She kept saying that she was offended as a citizen of Armenia to see the flag on the floor.”

 

Ms Ghulyan acknowledged that some in the audience had been offended by sexually suggestive movements during the performance. Charnock had wrapped a Union Jack around his loins and then draped the Armenian tricolor over his naked torso.

 

But Ms Ghulyan said that most had understood the show and many gave him a standing ovation at the end.

 

Charnock, 45, has performed Frank around Europe since 2003, when it was commissioned for the Venice Biennale. He co-founded the DV8 Physical Theatre before establishing his own dance company in 1996.

 

[phantom22]

As Cher jumps from relationships with men and women and back, and Kim Kardashian hops in the sack with black rockers (Ray J) and white women heirs to millions (Paris Hilton), official Yerevan throws a temper tantrum over an art show. Is Yerevan a suburb of Tehran?

[gamavor]

There is no such thing as "protecting Armenianess". It is much more simple than that. Desecrating the national flag is an offence in most countries. Even in the freest of the freest there is an ongoing debate whether or not desecrating the national flag should be penalized (criminalized).

 

Someone quickly burn the Union Jack por favor!

[shaunt]

Minister Hasmik Poghosyan, Turkey is to the West.

[nairi]

Minister Hasmik Poghosyan, Turkey is to the West.

 

My thoughts exactly. I didn't realize the flag, out of all things, was a national symbol of such worth that an artist could not dance on it.. Apparently this Chernock fellow, who I have never seen, nor heard of, received a standing ovation during his show in Yerevan, which the Minister did not even see. Apparently the audience got the message and was not offended.

[vava]

..... Apparently this Chernock fellow, who I have never seen, nor heard of, received a standing ovation during his show in Yerevan, which the Minister did not even see. Apparently the audience got the message and was not offended.

Very poignant. Quick to judge, slow to think...

 

[Boghos]

Completely unnecessary show of idiocy by the "authorities" of Armenia.

[Stormig]

Sounds like the sort of reaction you'd get from Turkish authorities who'd shoot any Greek Cypriot for trying to take a flag off a pole on the Green Line... What's next? Criminalisation of possession of maps showing present-day Republic of Armenia as part of the Persian Empire or USSR or claiming that the Bagratounis were Georgian (or was it Jewish?)...? "No such thing..." Turkey even has a law about the flag.