Jānis Butkevičs
1964
Educator, choreographer, stage director
Born 25 March 1964 in the Daugavpils District. Studied at the Eglaine eight-year school in Daugavpils District (1971–1979), then at Rīga Cultural and Education Workers’ Technical College, specialising as a cultural worker and dance-group leader (1979–1982).
Continued his education at the Leningrad Institute of Culture, Department of Choreography (1982–1988) and gained a Master’s degree in Educational theory at Daugavpils Teachers’ University (1998–2000).
Since 2000, Butkevičs has been Deputy Director, Cultural Affairs at the Daugavpils Latvian Cultural Centre.
Passed on his experience to future dance-group directors through teaching: teaching dance composition at Daugavpils Teachers’ University (1993–2002), and was an educator at the Daugavpils dance courses for the Latvian Academy of Music Drama Faculty (1989–1993).
A prolific and versatile choreographer, has created around 80 new dances, many of which were created through working with dance groups. His new-dance work is mainly related to his cherished dance ensembles – Ērmanīši, led by Butkevičs between 1997 and 2001, and Laima (Goddess of Fate), the Daugavpils Teachers’ University students’ dance ensemble, where he has been an assistant since 1990. Thanks to Butkevičs’ unselfish efforts, these groups have always been among the best in Latvia, have won competition prizes, and have staged many interesting concert programmes. Laima has staged Rāmi, rāmi (Gently, Gently, 1994) and Riti, Riti (Let’s go, Let’s go, 1997), Nekur nav tik labi kā mājās (Nowhere is as Good as Home, 2003), Pie Dieviņa gari galdi (God Serves at Long Tables) and other dance performances.
Many of his dances, such as Rūžeņa, (Beautiful Girl), Jezups (Joseph) and Ai, galdiņi (Oh, wee Table), have been staged at Dance Celebrations. Has also created choreography for Daugavpils Theatre performances, including Sapņu spēle jeb dvēseles kumēdiņi (Dream Game or Comedies of the Soul, 2000), Pasaka par vērdiņu (The Turtle’s Tale, 2001), Sniegbaltīte un septiņi rūķīši (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, 2001) and Čigāns sapnī (Dream of a Gypsy, 2001). Butkevičs has directed major events – was director of Daugavpils 725th anniversary Festival (2000) and director of the Latgale Television Music Festival in Daugavpils (2000), director of Latvia’s cultural programmes at Vitebsk international art festivals (1999–2003) and project manager for three international ballet festival concerts in Daugavpils. (2001–2003).
A Chief choreographer at the 13th Dance Celebration and Chief choreographer for Daugavpils city (1988–1993) and Jēkabpils District (1999–2001) dance groups.
