Today, December 21, one of the most outstanding Latvian ballet artists, educator, and film actor Haralds Ritenbergs (11.05.1932–21.12.2025) completed his life journey.
“We express our deepest condolences to the family, colleagues, students, and fans of the great ballet dancer and film actor Haralds Ritenbergs. He was equally brilliant on stage, in film, and in the classroom, helping many contemporary ballet stars shine,” wrote the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, on social media.
Ritenbergs danced with the ballet troupe of the Latvian SSR Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1951 to 1977, becoming one of the brightest ideals of romantic ballet of the post-war generation. His artistic style was characterized by plastic elegance, inner spirituality, and masculine nobility.
During his ballet career, he performed over 40 significant roles, including Siegfried in "Swan Lake," Prince Albert in "Giselle," the title role in the ballet "Spartacus," Girey in "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai," Peer Gynt, Phoebus in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet."
His talent also shone in Latvian cinema. The leading roles he played in the films "The Sword and the Rose," "Nauris," "Devil's Servants," and "Devil's Servants at the Devil's Mill" became part of the golden fund of Latvian cinema and earned him love among a wide audience. His contribution to pedagogy is no less significant. Ritenbergs was a teacher, director, and artistic director of the Riga Secondary Choreographic School from 1978 to 2017. He trained many soloists of the Latvian National Ballet.
Farewell to Haralds Ritenbergs will take place in the mezzanine hall of the Latvian National Opera on December 29 from 12:00 to 13:00.
