Music & Dancing at the Armenian Picnic
Music is at the heart of an Armenian Picnic. Throughout the day, musicians and dance leaders help create the feeling of kef — a joyful gathering with food, music, dancing, and community. You do not need to know the steps. Come listen, clap, learn, and join in when you’re ready.
Հաց ու պանիր, կեր ու պարի
Hats oo baneer, ger oo bari
“Bread and cheese, eat and dance.”
A reminder that happiness can be found in simple pleasures: food, music, friendship, and movement.
Featured Performers
Maine Kef Ensemble
Maine Kef Ensemble performs traditional and contemporary folk music from Armenia and neighboring cultures of the eastern Mediterranean. Their lively music invites listening, dancing, and participation, creating the joyful spirit of kef that is at the heart of Armenian celebrations.
Featuring oud, clarinet, guitar, upright bass, and vocals, the ensemble brings together musicians dedicated to preserving and sharing this rich musical tradition.
Music & Dance Across Cultures
One of the founding ideas behind the Armenian Picnic is that no culture stands alone. Armenian history has long been intertwined with the peoples of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Anatolia, and the Caucasus. By sharing music from these neighboring traditions, we celebrate both what makes each culture unique and what they share in common.
Kotwica
Named for the Polish word for "anchor," Kotwica performs traditional folk music from Eastern Europe, bringing together dance tunes, songs, and harmonies from Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and neighboring regions.
Led by David Rapkievian of Bar Harbor, the ensemble features fiddle, accordion, balalaika, guitar, string bass, and vocal harmonies. Their energetic performances invite audiences to listen, dance, and celebrate the shared traditions that connect cultures across the region.
Join the Dancing
Between 1:00 and 2:30 PM, guests are invited to join Carolyn Okoomian Rapkievian for traditional Armenian dancing.
No experience is necessary. Some dances are simple enough to learn in a few minutes, while others demonstrate traditions that have been passed down through generations of Armenian families and communities.
Many visitors arrive intending only to watch and leave having learned their first Armenian dance.
Carolyn has spent more than forty years researching, teaching, and preserving traditional Armenian dance and currently works with the Houshamadyan Project to document historic Armenian dance traditions.
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