The highest award for dancers
The Dance Prize is the highest award in Latvia in professional dance art – ballet, contemporary dance, contemporary and stage folk dance. It was first presented in 2019, and this year it will be awarded in 2019-2020. The most outstanding dance works and personalities of.
Dance events of various formats were nominated for the award, and choreographers and dancers were also singled out in classical and contemporary dance. In addition, nominees have been nominated in the categories “Contribution to the Art of Dance” for achievements in pedagogical, research and organizational work, as well as “Surprise in the Art of Dance”, which aims to highlight the expansion of dance boundaries and dance synergies with other art genres. For the first time, an award will be presented in the category “Dance Performance for Children and Youth”. All nominations show performance over the past two years. Following the topicality – the transformations of the dance in the conditions of social distance set for the restriction of Covid-19 – the jury also evaluated the projects created in digital formats.
Dance events of the last two years were evaluated and nominated by the jury: chairwoman of the jury, ballet art expert Agnese Andersone, ballet art experts Lita Beiris and Tālis Sils, contemporary dance experts Agnese Bordjukova and Elīna Gediņa, stage folk dance experts Reinis Rešetins and Gunta Skuja as also contemporary dance experts Inga Raudinga and Maija Tjurjapina.
Two lifetime awards
A particularly important event will be the awards for a lifetime contribution to the art of dance. This year, the jury decided to award two lifetime prizes: Ingrida Edite Saulite and Harald Ritenberg. Both once studied with the outstanding ballet dancer, ballet master and pedagogue Helena Tangiev-Birzniece. After graduating from the Riga Secondary School of Choreography, the paths of the creative vocations of the young ballet dancers were completely different, but neither of them was successful.
Teacher and choreographer Ingrīda Edīte Saulīte is one of the brightest and most active personalities of the dance festival, the author of several publications and studies on the dance festival in Latvia.
Harald Ritenberg’s achievements on the stage of the Latvian National Opera, dancing the leading and brightest roles of ballet, as well as valuable experience in the field of cinema, have enriched and created the artist’s individuality, which later manifested itself in pedagogical activity. For 40 years he was the head of Riga Secondary School of Choreography.
Each winner of the Dance Award will receive a cash prize and a statuette created by the artist Gintas Grūbe.
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There was nowhere else to look
“Of course, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in the art of dance. Because my whole life has really been associated with ballet, theater, ballet school. And it is undeniable that my work has been noticed and appreciated. Very nice, »is grateful to Harald Ritenberg.
After a 27-year life as a dancer (1950-1977), in which more than 40 brilliant roles have been performed, he has been the director of the Riga School of Choreography for more than 20 years and has raised our most outstanding ballet dancers (1978-2017).
But the talented young man started dancing only at the age of 14, when after the break of his voice he could no longer sing in the boys’ choir of the State Opera and Ballet Theater of the Latvian SSR.
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“Sadly, I was sitting on a bench at the entrance of the opera actors, when a gentleman came to me – I later found out that it was the head of the ballet school department Boleslav Milevich – and asked if I did not want to study ballet school dancing in white slippers … He had noticed me on stage, because, singing in the boys’ choir, we also participated in the performances “Lady of Spades” and “Carmen”. And since I had nowhere else to look at that time, I agreed. I realized that this way I would be able to stay on stage. And I really wanted that, because by standing behind the scenes and watching what the great artists were doing, I was already poisoned by the stage. I was happy to be with them in the same family, “Haralds Ritenbergs recalls more than 70 years old events, adding that in the entrance exams at the ballet school she was judged by Helena Tangijeva-Birzniece, who had already determined at that time:” This guy will be the prime minister of Latvian ballet! “
“This is the beginning of my career as a dancer, which was very successful,” concludes the great ballet dancer today. He graduated from the Riga Choreography High School (then called the Latvian National Opera Ballet School) in 1952. His classmates were Māris Liepa, Artūrs Ēķis, Uldis Žagata, Alfreds Spura, etc.
Refers to health
“I enjoyed dancing, and everything I was taught was of great interest to me. Without an interest in dance, it would not be possible to overcome the difficulties required by a strict regime, systematic daily training. I had to work a lot, from morning to evening. He was not allowed to let go for a moment. It must be said that it was very hard work. In fact, it’s a miner’s job in ballet slippers, “concludes Harald Ritenberg, adding that now it’s all about health. “Here the back hurts, here – the legs. All sorts of problems have accumulated over the years. But don’t stop. So every day I try to go outside, walk a bend, I went home to the gym. The best remedy for age is not to stop. You have to move. If you invest, there will be no point, »thinks the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Art of Dance.
Of course, Romeo
Harald Ritenberg’s brightest roles on the ballet stage were Romeo in Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet “Romeo and Juliet”, Siegfried in Peter Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake”, Prince Albert Adolf Charles Adan’s “Giselle” and Sergei Prokofiev’s Romuald Greenblat in Rigonda, Desire and the Blue Bird in The Enchanted Princess, Jean de Briens in Alexander Glazunov’s Raimonda, Conrad Adolf Charles Adan’s Corsair, Spartac Arama Hatchaturian’s Ballet of the Same Name and many more.
Asked what he considers to be the most beautiful role of his life, Harald Ritenberg, without thinking for a moment, answers – of course, Romeo. The role he encountered in 1953, at the very beginning of his stage career. The artist’s partner Juliet was one of the brightest Latvian ballet dancers Anna Priede, and they were one of the most outstanding duets in the history of Latvian ballet, full of the love and tragedy of this ballet.
Patience, health and hope
In a conversation with the Independent, Harald Ritenbergs says that every now and then he often watches one of the films in which he once participated: “Nauris”, “Spear and Rose”, “Vella’s Servants”, “Vella’s Servants in a Vella Mill”.
“I look at old movies, I remember my youth and I conclude that quickly those years have passed. It seems that just now, it was, »the ballet dancer smiles, admitting that he likes to linger in his memories and think about tomorrow, because without the past there is no future. “The fact that ballet artists do not have the opportunity to train normally and perform in front of the audience is terrible. It’s mind-boggling. Of course, emotionally, this time is quite depressing for all of us, because what is happening in the world is very bad. This is a great misfortune for us all. But I live in the hope that it will not last forever – the pandemic will pass. You have to live with such hopes! Patience for all of us, health and hope that it will all end one day! ” wishes the winner of the Lifetime Achievement in Dance Art.
HARALDS RITENBERGS
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– Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB) ballet soloist, prime minister (1950-1977), teacher, director and artistic director of Riga Secondary School of Choreography (1978-2017)
– Born on May 11, 1932 in Riga, in the family of a factory worker and seamstress
– During his school years he was passionate about sports – he played hockey, football, volleyball, swam
– Education: Riga Ausekls 46th Primary School (1941-1945), Riga City 22nd Primary School (1945-1948), Emils Darzins Music High School and Riga Choreography High School (1948-1952; since 2020 – Riga Ballet School)
– In 25 years of creative work, he has survived the roles of about 30 main ballet characters on the stage
– Filmed in the main roles in Riga film studio feature films: title role in the film “Nauris” (dir. L. Leimanis, 1958), Jurģis “Spear and Rose” (dir. L. Leimanis, 1960), vella servant Andris “Vella servants” (dir. A Leimanis, 1970), «Servants of Vella in Vella Mill» (dir. A. Leimanis, 1972); episodes in the films: “How the Swans Go White Clouds” (dir. P. Armands, 1956), “Behind the Glass Door” (dir. O. Dunkers, 1978), “Unfinished Dinner” (dir. J. Streičs, 1979)
– He was married to ballet dancer Aija Baumanis. Daughter Alla Priede (1954) was born in a relationship with ballet dancer Anna Priede, who later became a ballet dancer. Married to Birut Ritenberg, two sons were born – twins Erland and Dean Ritenberg (1969). Married to Inese Apini-Ritenberg
– Two grandchildren: Alice plays the piano, Robert is involved in u-shu
– Awards: Order of the Three Stars, IV (1999), Order of Honor for Outstanding Achievement at Work (1955), LSSR Meritorious Performer (1958), LSSR People’s Performer (1965), LSSR State Prize (1960), JVLMA Award (1995), State Cultural Capital Foundation Lifetime Scholarship for Contribution to the Development of Latvian Culture (1999), “Aldara” Annual Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Art of Ballet (2003), Letter of Recognition from the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia (2008), “Players’ Night” award for lifetime contribution to the art of ballet and upbringing of young dancers (2008), letter of commendation from the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia (2012), JSC Latvijas gāze award “Legendary life in art” (2012), H. Tangiev-Birzniece award (2014), Lifetime Award in the Art of Dance (2021)
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