Selga Apse
1973Choreographer
Born on 18 November 1973 in Toronto, Canada. Took her first dance steps as a young child in the Mazais Diždancītis dance group, going on to Diždancītis. Graduated from the Toronto Latvian School (1986), US West Coast Latvian Summer School (1990) and Claude Watson School for the Arts (1991), and studied at York University (graduating in 1996) and completed the Income Managers’ Program (IMP) in marketing and financial management (1996-1997).
Her professional career has involved financial management at the Canadian National Ballet (1997-2009), the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (2010-2012), the Canadian Olympic Foundation (2013-2022) and the Weston Family Foundation (from 2022), nevertheless, dance has always remained close to her heart. Since 1994, the choreographer’s destiny has been linked to Toronto’s Daugavas vanagi dance group Daugaviņa (Little Daugava), initially as a dancer, but since 1995 as its artistic director. Under Apse’s leadership, the dance group regularly performs at the Latvian Centre in Toronto, at Sidrabene, as well as at Song and Dance Festivals in the US, Canada and Latvia.
Apse emphasises her efforts to develop respect for Latvian dance in her dancers by teaching both ‘heritage’ dances and new choreographies, impressing on them the importance of precision and feeling. Apse is convinced that for many dancers, Daugaviņa is the only way to become involved in Latvian society. Outside the family, it is their only link with Latvia and Latvian culture: “Dancing in Daugaviņa is a bridge to being Latvian.” (Kokareviča, Dace. Dancing is a bridge to being Latvian. La.lv. 24 October 2017)
That is precisely why the artist has always highlighted the maintenance of Latvian culture in exile and the promotion of Latvian folklore and dance as key missions in her life. Lead by this goal, she has participated in a variety of seminars, camps, conferences and summer schools, such as presenting her lecture Folk Dancing in Canada at the 2 x 2 young people’s seminar (2006, 2008) and at a conference organised by the World Federation of Free Latvians (2014).
In parallel, the artist has been involved in the creation of Latvian-exile song festivals and has gained extensive experience in their administration. Was a member of the folk-dance section and artistic director of the major dance performance at the XIIIth Latvian Song Festival in Canada (2009), a member of the organising committee, head of the folk-dance section and artistic director of the major dance performance at the XIth (2000) and XIVth (2014) Latvian Song Festivals in Canada, also a chief choreographer at the XXVIth All-Latvian Song and XVIth Dance Festival (2018), and vice chairman of the organising committee and head of the folk-dance section for the XVth Latvian Song Festival in Canada (2019).
At the same time, this versatile artist has created a number of new dances which have gained appreciation and awards at US- and Canadian-Latvian song-festival creative-dance competitions, for example, winning first prize for her choreographies Aizalaida sauleite (The Sun Slipped Away, 2012), Makaidū (2002) and Jaukāki jaukti (It’s More Fun Together, 1997), and third place for Tur man tika (There I Was Lucky, 2004).
A chief choreographer at the XXVIIth All-Latvian Song and XVIIth Dance Festival (2023).
Awarded the Daugavas Vanagi Certificate of Recognition (2009) and the Canadian Latvian National Association Certificate of Recognition (2005).
