(November 26, 2003) — Since the tender age of six, junior Ofelia Pchakjian has been showing off her talent in front of anyone willing to watch. “I was born to dance,” she said. As a way of providing an outlet for her energy, her parents enrolled her in the Vartan and Siranoush Gevorkian International Dance School. She has been attending classes three days a week for six straight years. According to Pchakjian, “It takes a lot of sacrifices to be a good dancer. Unlike my friends, I don’t get to sleep in on Saturdays because of practices.” Pchakjian also comes home late two nights of the week, which sometimes interferes with her schoolwork. “I come home exhausted, and homework is the last thing on my mind.” Although her favorite type of dance is Armenian, Pchakjian also excels in Greek, hip hop, Georgian, Russian, modern and Jewish styles. “Ofelia dances beautifully,” said instructor Siranoush Gevorkian. “I’ve never seen her give up on a difficult move.” According to Gevorkian, Pchakjian is a model student. Because she has been doing it for so many years, dancing in front of large audiences isn’t a difficult task for Pchakjian anymore. “I used to get very nervous at first, but now I’m always excited before a concert.” She likes to look at the crowd when she’s dancing. “I know everyone in the audience is proud of us,” she said, “You can tell from their smiles.” Her love of pleasing the audience and presenting them with a memorable performance has been Pchakjian’s incentive over the years to keep doing her absolute best. Pchakjian has performed in a number of places with her dance group. “The most memorable performance for me was one we did this year at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel,” she said. This particular performance was in honor of Carl R. Terzian who won the International Citizen of the Year award. “I always love going to events where the Armenian culture is represented,” Pchakjian said. She also has fond memories of performances in Fresno and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as well as local performances at Glendale’s Alex Theater. Despite the fond memories and experiences she has acquired throughout the years because of dance, Pchakjian is certain that she will stop attending as soon as she graduates. “I’m having a great time now, but I’ll probably quit after high school,” she said. She is planning on attending UCLA. “Although I’ll probably always love performing, getting a good education is definitely my top priority.”