Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions:

Question: Are you affiliated with any organization?
Answer: SNDC is an independent dance company that is not affiliated with any organization. We are our own entity.

Question: How does SNDC support itself given that it has no financial backing from any established organization?
Answer: SNDC relies on donations and support from the community as well as revenue from the performances we do. We also hold several fundraisers throughout the year. This money goes into costumes, rehearsal halls and other expenses.

Question: Who profits from the SNDC?
Answer: The community! SNDC is a Non-Profit organization. Any money that is made goes right back into SNDC. Whether it's used for new costumes, stage props, music or other items, all money goes right back to the dance company.

Question: How many people are in the SNDC?
Answer: SNDC has over 80 members including dancers, stage crew and other volunteers.

Question: How can I join the Sayat Nova Dance Company?
Answer: Joining is as easy as sending an e-mail indicating you desire to join. Or, come to one of our rehearsals to speak with an SNDC representative. You can also call (617) 923-4455 and leave a message. A representative will contact you.

Question: Where, and at what time, do you rehearse?
Answer: Rehearsals are held every Sunday at 6:30 PM. Additionally, there is a mid-week rehearsal for all new members and veteran dancers. Go to our rehearsals page to read more about rehearsals. Check back here often since during certain times of the year our rehearsal schedule may change.

Question: What is the minimum age limit to join?
Answer: Anyone over the age of 16 or who is a junior in high school can join SNDC.

Question: Are members of the SNDC compensated for their time?
Answer: NO! SNDC is an all volunteer dance company. All members of SNDC are volunteers, including the director, assistant director and committee members. Member of SNDC join because they love to dance or love to be involved with the Armenian heritage and culture or want to be involved in the Armenian community.

Question: Do I need to be an experienced dancer to join?
Answer: Not at all! You can join SNDC even if you are a novice! Novice dancers are brought up to speed before participating in a major production. In fact, you need not be a dancer at all! We are always looking for people to help us in all facets of the organization: costumes, stage work, and other interesting committees.

Question: What if I can't come every Sunday?
Answer: To join SNDC and perform on stage with the group, you must be able to dedicate your Sunday evenings to rehearsals. As a new dancer, you are required to come to the mid-week rehearsals that are scheduled. This is where you will learn the steps and get used to the music. Some Sundays are taken off and rehearsals are rescheduled during long weekends. SNDC also takes a summer break.

Question: Does it cost money to be a part of SNDC?
Answer: All SNDC members pay dues, which are a nominal amount. The dues help with the rental of the rehearsal hall and other minor expenses. Sometimes when we travel we may help defray costs nominally, but it is a small price to pay for the thrill of performing.

Question: How can I sponsor the Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston?
Answer: Send us an e-mail or call 617-923-4455 and an SNDC representative will reply to you.

Question: Must I be an Armenian organization to sponsor the SNDC?
Answer: No. SNDC's mission is to preserve and (most importantly) promote the Armenian culture. SNDC will perform for any group or organization, Armenian or not, and welcomes invitations from non-Armenian groups.

Question: How much does it cost to sponsor the SNDC?
Answer: SNDC has a variety of packages available. Contact us and we will discuss our various plans.

Question: I've never seen the SNDC perform before. How will I know if an SNDC performance is right for me?
Answer: Send us an e-mail or call 617-923-4455 and we can send you a brochure and a 20 minute promotional video that has clips and highlights of our performances. You can also go to our pictures section to see actual (not staged) pictures of our performances.

Question: When viewing the pictures, sometimes the first few pictures do not open up in the slideshow. Instead, they open in a plain white window. Why does this happen?
Answer: You must wait until ALL the picture thumbnails are loaded before the slideshow software starts. The slideshow software is designed to initialize after all the thumbnails are loaded. After the slideshow starts, all you need to do is move the mouse and the "Prev/Next" buttons will appear. You may also use your keyboard's right/left arrow keys to move through the slideshow. You can start the slideshow at any picture, and it will start with the picture you choose.

Question: When viewing the site in Internet Explorer 7, I get a message at the top of my screen asking if I want to run a script. Why is this? See screenshot
Answer: The home page of this website includes a simple javascript for collecting statistics. The statistics collected are about web browser settings only. There is NO PERSONAL INFORMATION collected. These queries sometimes cause these info boxes to pop up. There is no harm in letting them run, and you will only have to activate it once. These statistics help us determine the most common browser settings and help us design the website more efficiently.

Question:The text is too small / too large!
Answer:There are so many different screen sizes that it is virtually impossible to fix the font to one particluar size. However, the text on this site is scalable, so you can adjust the text size to suit your eyes. All of the major browsers offer a way for you to change text size and can usually be found under the "View" menu. See screenshot

Question: Which screen resolution is recommended?
Answer: This website is designed around a base resolution of 1024x768 (the most common resolution) and a maximized window. As such, we recommend a minimum screen resolution of 1024x768. The website is also designed to conform to different screen sizes and resolutions, so the site will stretch to fit larger screens and shrink to fit small screens, although it may look a bit crowded on a smaller screen.

Question: I can't see the menu or the "Top Headlines" on the home page. Why?
Answer: To view the site as intended, your browser must have Javascript enabled. If you don't know how to enable Javascipt, click here

Question: Why do I have to fill out forms with security codes to contact you?
Answer: The forms with security codes are there to protect our e-mail boxes from spammers. The security code is there to make sure a human is filling out the form and not some sort of "phishing" software.

Question: Do you recommend a particular browser?
Answer: This website is compatible with the latest versions of all the major web browsers - Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 6, Mozilla FireFox 1.5 and 2.xx, Netscape Navigator 8.xx and 9.xx, Opera 9.xx and Apple's Safari. You may use whichever browser you wish.