When I was younger I used to get embarassed to say I was Armenian. People always said really dumb things like "you mean Romanian" or is that the same as Russian. Now I look back and think what a bunch of idiots! If I had been smarter or less unsure of myself I would have put people in their place!

Same with the dancing: I remember Mr Lewis at the end of our street-Server Ave- cutting mine and Armen's hair one day. I told him we had danced at the Philharmonic Auditorium and he didn't believe me. He actually said I was making it up then said I was confused. I remember going home crying.

I was 6 when we danced at the L.A. Phliharmonic for the first time. The elastic broke on Armen's pants and they started to fall- he turned around and said Mom fix them please and then finished his dance! I look at the pictures now and I laugh because we look like bobble head figures. Mama & Papa were something though-even Angie looked great. They were so young-we all were! I remember people coming up and being so impressed at our talent. Even now you can tell who has been taught by Pop- the hands give it away.

So many of the Armenians in Montebello were in our dance groups- Lydia & Mike, Haig & Hilda, Serge, John & Karen, Marsha, Anita (both of them) Knarik, Alex, Patsi, Angie & Jack-and so many I don't remember-it's amazing how we all have ties thanks to Papa's groups.

When we dance we still have people come up and say things like "your Dad taught me when I was young" or "your Dad danced at my wedding."

The other day I googled shalako / Armenian dance music and a link came up for Varoujan Movsesian and his famous toe touch on youtube. It shows him dancing at a wedding aqt St James Church in 1982. Ruben comes in with a cartwheel and dances with Varoujan for a minute then cartwheels out- you can hear Papa playing the Dahjol in the background. So much talent- so many memories- so much fun and I was actually embarassed because we were different. How sad.