Skaidrīte Darius
1927-2024
Choreographer
Born on 6 November 1927 in Balvi Parish, in a family of teachers – Arnolds and Olga Skrívers. Started school at Aizpurve elementary school, going on to Balvi secondary school but completed her secondary education in Germany at the Latvian Saules ģimnāzija. Having lived in England for a couple of years, Darius migrates to Canberra, Australia in 1950. Obtains a degree in humanities at the Australian National University (1960) and takes a position in the university’s computer department.
Darius was the founder (1953) and long-standing leader of the Canberra folk dance group Sprigulītis (Little Flail). Being an outstanding choreographer and folklore expert, Darius has staged ten major productions with the Latvian folk-song and dance ensemble Saules josta (Sun Belt): Rudens saule (Autumn Sun, 1974), Saules josta (Sun Belt, 1976), Mārietas dziesma (Mārieta’s Song, 1979), Vasaras zieds (Summer Bloom, 1980), Upmaļu saimniece (Mistress of Upmaļi, 1982), Mārpuķīte (Daisy, 1984), Čāpiņu Jāņa precības (Čāpiņu Jānis’ Wedding, 1987), Iz pūra lādes (From my Dowry Chest, 1988), Mežavots (Forest Spring, 1990), Šūpulis (Swing, 1993) and Deviņziedu vainagā (In a Nine-flower Crown, 1996). All of these productions have been performed numerous times in Australia, Sweden, Germany, England, the US, Canada and Latvia, the ensemble also taking part in the 10th (1990) and 11th (1993) All-Latvian Dance Festivals. The ensemble has won a number of awards for its outstanding success: the World Free Latvian Association Cultural Foundation Award for the Saules josta production (1976), the Vera Rulliņa Prize (1979), the Colonel Vilis Janums Prize (1980) and the Goppers Foundation Award (1985 and 1989).
The choreographer’s oeuvre of dances encompasses around 120 compositions, some of which have been published in Volume 1 (1992) and Volume 2 (1998) of Saules jostas dejas (Sun Belt Dances). Alku deja (Pining Dance) by Darius was included in the programme for the opening ceremony of the Sydney Opera House (1973), as well as in the repertoire of the XXth All-Latvian Song and Dance Festival (1990), but Saules vija (Garland of the Sun) – in the XXIst All-Latvian Song and Dance Festival (1993), the Rīga-800 Song and Dance Festival (2001) and the opening ceremony of the 42nd Europeade festival of folk culture (2004).
An Honorary chief choreographer at the XXVIth Latvian Song and XVIth Dance Festival (2018) and XXVIIth Latvian Song and XVIIth Dance Festival (2023).
Awarded the Goppers Foundation Prize (1975), the World Free Latvian Association’s Krišjānis Barons Prize (1982), the World Free Latvian Association’s Exiled Nation Prize (1992), and the Republic of Latvia Cross of Recognition (2012).
Skaidrite Darius passed away on April 21, 2024 in Canberra, Australia.
