The Shushi Armenian Dance Ensemble, under the auspices of the Saint Vartan Cathedral in New York City, came into existence in 1992 as a small, young cultural group when a few teenagers wanted to familiarize the non-Armenian community with Armenian history, culture, and traditions. 

On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the liberation of the ancient capital city “Shushi” in Karabagh in 1995, the group adopted the name “Shushi Armenian Dance Ensemble.”

Today, sixteen years later, the group has flourished to 133 dancers, 108 female & 25 male, consisting of elementary, high school and college students.