Accelerando: BJMD (Feb 2024)
Prilog istoriji Baleta Srpskog narodnog pozorišta u Novom Sadu: Rastislav Varga (1955–2021)
Abstract
Rastislav Varga was born in September 29, 1955 in Bački Petrovac in a Slovak family by mother Želmira (b. 1931) and father Pavel (b. 1932) . He had two sisters, the eldest Vlasta (1951) and twin sister Svetluša (1955). The family moved to Novi Sad (1965), where brother and sister enrolled together in the Primary Ballet School, but only Rastislav (1973) graduated from the Secondary Ballet School. In the same year, he became a permanent member of the Ballet troup (although he played in children's performances at the Ballet while still a student at the Ballet School). A scholarship at the Ballet School in Leningrad (1974–1975) with pedagogue I.J. Umrichin was crucial for his professional advancement. There, in addition to his knowledge of ballet, he made many friends and perfected his Russian language. After returning to the ballet collective in Novi Sad, he got his first soloist and leading roles (in 1975 in the children's ballet Peter Pan). He earned the title of principal of the Ballet of the Serbian National Theater in 1983. Data on his professional career preserve the performances - a total of 58 different roles played during his professional life in the Ballet of the Serbian National Theater (SNP) - as well as numerous reviews in written, electronic media or in encyclopedic references. Critics evaluate differently which role is the best in his versatile career. However, as if there was some tacit agreement, it were the roles of the prince in Giselle, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker that marked his acting style. This was followed by roles in children's ballets and with themes from everyday life (for example, The Wicked Woman) that revealed his gift for the comic. During twenty years (1975–1995) he played 14 solo roles in operas and operettas, and collaborated with 30 choreographers from the country and abroad (with some more than once). He remained connected with the Ballet School in Novi Sad until the end of his career, teaching duet dancing. He also contributed to the collective as director of the SNP Ballet on two occasions: from 1994 to 1996, and from 2005 to 2008 years. He was occasionally engaged in choreography: on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the city of Novi Sad (1984), he choreographed to the music of Gabor Lenđel for the cantata about freedom, “Open the door to vision” (“Latomasnak ajtot nyitni”), directed by Karol Wiček at the Novi Sad Theater. For his multiple contribution to the development of ballet art, he received three awards in his theater: Annual awards for the role of Allen in the ballet The Wicked Woman (“Vragolanka”) in 1991; Annual award for the role of Abbot Danilo in The Autumn of the King (1994), and the "Jovan Đorđević" gold medal (1996). He was the winner of the Spark of Culture award of the Cultural and Educational Community of Vojvodina for his pedagogical work and his contribution to the development of ballet art (2007).
