UCSB's Armenian dance team was started by Nanor Balabanian in 2009. Organized by Nanor, they first performed with nine Armenian young university students as apart of the Armenian Student Association and continued to perform at different cultural events. In 2011 Nanor Balabanian gave the team it's official first name "Yeraz," which in Armenian means "dream." It was her dream that Yeraz would contin
ue to be a place where students could embrace, enjoy, and remember the Armenian culture. In Spring 2011, as Nanor graduated, Atina Manvelian became the choreographer/director of the team. The addition of male dancers, Atina's choreography, and different costumes brought new energy to the dance group and enabled the group to perform various co-ed as well as all-female dances with it's 13 members. Starting Fall 2014, the choreographer/director of the team will be Alec Atamian. Since then Yeraz dance team has been actively performing every quarter with UCSB's MIddle Eastern Ensemble as well as at other venues.
