Vija Vetra, a well-known Latvian and Indian performer of sacred dance and educator, has passed away, reports the news service of Latvian Television, according to LETA.
The artist passed away at the age of 103.
According to information from the LETA agency archive, Vetra was born on February 6, 1923, in Riga. She studied choreography in Vienna. Along with many Latvians, she moved to Australia, where she lived for sixteen years and began to explore the traditions of Indian dance. In 1962, Vetra returned to Europe, where she performed dance concerts and also taught dance.
Since 1964, Vetra lived in New York City (USA), in an artists' residence in Manhattan. The artist toured in Australia, America, and India. At the invitation of Imants Ziedonis, Vetra returned to Latvia from 1990 to 2023 to visit her homeland and meet with fans of her talent.
According to available information, the artist is planned to be cremated in the USA, and her ashes will then be transported to Latvia. It is reported that Vetra wanted to find peace in her homeland — at the Artists' Cemetery.
