Vija Vētra

Vija Vētra
Portrait of Vija Vētra, Sydney, 1951
Born(1923-02-06)6 February 1923
Riga, Latvia
Died11 April 2026(2026-04-11) (aged 103)
EducationUniversity of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Vienna Conservatory Ballet Chapter
OccupationsDancer, choreographer, dance studio owner and tutor
Years active1940s-1990

Vija Vētra (6 February 1923 – 11 April 2026) was a Latvian dancer and choreographer who was a leading classical Indian dancer.[1] She was based in the United States from 1964 until her death in 2026.[2]

Life and career

During World War II, she studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts, as well as at the Vienna Conservatory Ballet chapter.

In 1948, she immigrated to Australia, where in 1951 in Sydney she opened a dance studio. Then, she moved to West Germany. In 1967, she opened a dance study in New York City. She danced ballet performances but has mainly engaged in the Indian classical dances.

From 1966 to 1975, she appeared in fourteen episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.[3]

From 1990, she visited Latvia each year to teach classes and perform in concerts.[4]

In 1993, she founded the Unitarian Universalist church in Riga. She is the subject of a couple of documentaries: Vijaya (2004) and The World of Vija Vetra (2007).

Vētra died on 11 April 2026, at the age of 103.[5][6]

Honours

In 1999, Vētra received the Order of the Three Stars by the Latvian government.

Vētra turned 100 on 6 February 2023.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Meiere, Agnese. ""Brīvība man lieliem burtiem rakstāma"". Ieva. 23 (814): 10.—14. lpp. ISSN 1407-2033.
  2. ↑ "No dejotājas Vijas Vētras izkrāpta bērēm atliktā nauda". Apollo.lv. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Vija Vetra". IMDb. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Latvijā ierodas deju māksliniece Vija Vētra". TVNET (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Mirusi leģendārā latviešu dejotāja un horeogrāfe Vija Vētra". NRA. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mūžībā devusies leģendārā latviešu dejotāja Vija Vētra". Lente. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Vija Vetra Dances Into 100". WESTVIEW NEWS. 5 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.