About the Book
The book contains interviews, critiques, essays, and theoretical texts about ballet and contemporary dance, plans and reports about humanitarian and peace projects, appeals, commentaries, photos, the biography and the list of works by Jelena Šantić (1944-2000), a ballerina, ballet historian, but also a fighter for peace and human rights. The book was edited by Amra Latifić, PhD, and designed by Jelena Jaćimović. The contributors are Jelena’s contemporaries and associates: Goran Božičević, Ivana Stefanović, Marija Janković Šehović, Marijana Cvetković, Milena Dragićević Šešić, Svenka Savić and Vesna Golić. The reviewers: Prof. Gordana Nikić, PhD, Prof. Marijana Prpa Fink, PhD, and Prof. Ratko Božović, PhD, and technical editors MA Irina Ljubić, and Prof. emer. Irina Subotić.
In an almost encyclopaedic manner, Jelena Šantić thematically and structurally systematizes information related to the field of ballet art, creates the strategy and the curriculum of the future ballet academy in a visionary infallible way, writes a range of creative scripts and librettos. Jelena Šantić’s interdisciplinary competency is visible in the choreo project about Isadora Duncan, which she signs in the capacity of a librettist, choreographer, and director, and which was performed in Atelje 212 Theatre at 25th Bitef under embargo, in 1992. Jelena’s inexhaustible energy stemmed from her surroundings and from her fight for human rights and peace, especially in the war years towards the end of 20th century, when she was recognized not only as sympathetic, but also as a proactive, efficient, and courageous person. Striving for peace, the truth, and justice, she became one of the key figures in the anti-war and anti-nationalist movement. She started her fight for peace in 1991 by the Walk of Peace around the Assembly Building, which represents the first public event by the newly founded Centre for Anti-War action. The movements Pakrac, Group Bridge, Group 484, are the results of Jelena’s passionate engagement and civic courage.
The book was created through the project Activist Heritage - Women Stories Beyond West-Balkan Conflicts and Crisis and was supported by the USAID Serbia and The Balkan Trust for Democracy.
The Author
Amra Latifić was born in Belgrade, where she obtained her BAs at Faculty of Philology and the Faculty of Drama Arts, and her PhD at Interdisciplinary studies of the University of Arts in Belgrade. She has published the books: Paradigms of Russian Avant-garde and Postmodern Art; The Idea of Acting: Performative Artecosmism; Cosmopolitan Shine of the Belgrade White Ballet; A Life Without Compromise for Art and Peace. Jelena Šantić: Essays, Records, Comments. She has published numerous works in domestic and foreign journals. She is currently a part-time professor at the Faculty for Media and Communication of the Singidunum University in Belgrade.