The drama of contemporary dance in Latvia and the dance performance Out

Based on Henrik Ibsen’s famous drama Brand, Olga Žitluhina’s dance performance Out (Ārā, 2013) presents certain parallels with the choreographer’s artistic and pedagogic strategies and the development of contemporary dance in Latvia. First, both Ibsen’s play (often also defined as a tragedy) and Žitluhina’s pedagogic activities trace the pursuit of personal ideals as a journey of overcoming mistakes and physical and mental challenges. Second, just as the tragic protagonist of Brand and Out can see beyond what ordinary people can see to predict and envision the future, Žitluhina has a vision of contemporary dance in Latvia and has worked tirelessly since the mid-1990s to develop this genre from scratch. She has contributed to dance with many major initiatives: establishing a professional dance association; producing dozens of dance performances; leading the artistic direction of the international contemporary dance festival Time to Dance; and creating a study programme at the Latvian Academy of Culture dedicated entirely to contemporary dance. This creative process has always been accompanied by funding difficulties, organizational problems and negative attitudes towards Žitluhina, her personality and her uncompromising artistic stance. Inspired by Olga Žitluhina’s dance performance Out, this article explores her contributions as choreographer and teacher to the development of contemporary dance and art in Latvia.