Members of the Month - October 2010

Some of the greatest moments in my life are because of SNDC.

Peter Lorensian, Performer

Peter has been with SNDC since 1999. Born in Beirut, Lebabnon, Peter's family moved to the USA where Peter earned his Bachelors Degree in English from Suffolk Univerity in Boston. Peter is currently a substitute teacher and plans on becoming a full time teacher.

Fun Facts:

Why did you join SNDC?: Because I didn't make the cut for the Bolshoi Ballet! Seriously, though, I've loved dancing for years and for some time I'd heard about this group call Sayat Nova. Finally at one of their fundraisers I saw they were recruiting so I decided to join. I felt that SNDC was a group that was serious about what they were doing.
Your Favorite Dance to Watch: Yaman Yar
Your Favorite SNDC Memory: After we performed with Nune Yessayan in Toronto in 2005, instead of going home after the show we put on our SNDC shirts, got in the vans, and went to go see Nune perform in Montreal with the local Montreal dance group. We applauded and cheered them on louder than anyone else in that theater. The organizing committee in Montreal saw us there and appreciated our support.
Favorite Color: During Easter season, my church has the tomb of Jesus on one side of the altar. On it is cloth with the image of a lamb against a deep purple background. That purple is one of my favorite colors.
Favorite Movie: (A small sample) Finding Nemo, Shawshank Redemption, 12 Angry Men, Lord of the Rings (Trilogy), Casablanca, Shakespeare in Love, Love Actually, Cinderella Man, Empire of the Sun, Field of Dreams, Gandhi, Groundhog Day, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Lion King, Moulin Rouge, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Seabiscuit, Slumdog Millionaire, Princess Mononoke
Favorite Actor / Actress :Tom Hanks, Elijah Wood, Jody Foster, Joan Cusack, Jonny Depp, Heith Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, Peter O'Toole, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russel Crow, Paul Giamatti, Jorge Garcia, Robbin Williams, Matt Damon, John Lithgow, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Buster Keaton, Henry Fonda, Jackie Gleason.
Favorite Music/Song/Artist:I love movie scores. (John Williams, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, James Newton Howard). I also like a cappella music as well as Tori Amos, Loreena McKennitt, Enya, Vienna Teng.
Favorite Book(s): The Bible, Harry Potter series, Eat Pray Love, The Prophet, A Wrinkle In Time, Rhyming Dictionary.
Favorite Activity/Hobby:: Nintendo (especially Zelda and Mario), reading, creative writing.
What other organizations are you involved in?: I'm very involved at my Saint James Armenian church where I often volunteer and serve as sub-deacon. I'm also a board member of the Boston Societies of Spontaneity.
Who is your role model or who do you admire most?:Certainly Apo has been a big influence on me. It amazes me that so much talent, ideas, and inspiration can fit into one man. A few others who I admire are Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Professor Dumbledore.
What is your favorite quote or motto?:"Now is the time that we must choose between what is right, and what is easy." - Prof. Albus Dumbledore

Dance your heart out, whether it's on stage or during practice!

Shushanik Yegoyan, Performer

Shushanik has been with SNDC since 2005. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, her family emigrated to the USA where she attended the University of Massachusetts and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Biology and her Master's Degree in Nursing. Shushanik is currently a Nursing Unit Coordinator at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA.

Fun Facts:

Why did you join SNDC?: To continue my passion for Armenian dance.
Favorite SNDC Dance to Perform: the Introduction Set and Azkagragan.
Favorite SNDC Memory: Performing in Los Angeles in 2009 while being sick.
Favorite TV Show: NCIS, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Favorite Movie: The Royal Tenenbaums, The Fast and the Furious, Dirty Dancing I and II.
Favorite Actor / Actress: Drew Barrymore, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Favorite Sports / Teams: Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Favorite Book: The Bastard of Instanbul by Elif Shafak.
Favorite Music/Song/Artist: Pink Flyod, Inna.
Favorite Food: Tolma [stuffed grape leaves].
Who is your role model or who do you admire most?: My Mother.
What is your favorite quote or motto?: "He lives the poetry he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realize".