Emeritus Professor

Z. Errsa graduated from Riga Choreography School in 1970 after studies with V. Kutena, I. Baranovska, V. Blinov, V. Švecova. From 1969 to 1995 she was a soloist of Latvian National Opera Ballet, performing leading roles in ballets Notre Dame de Paris, Don Quixote, Corsair, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Scaramouch, Mirandolina, Giselle, Staburags, Lasot Blaumani (Reading Blaumanis), Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, Swan Lake, Anuta, Edith Piaf and many others.

This very charming ballerina with unmatched technical brilliance expertly dances both gallant and lyrically romantic classical pieces; she also feels right at home in stylistically diverse productions of original choreographies. Z. Errsa conquers it all – comedy, drama, tragedy – her soul sparkles through each and every performance.  (I. Bite).

From 1992 to 2005 she worked as a ballet coach at the Latvian National Opera. In 1993 she received a bachelor’s degree in choreography from Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA); in 2002 she received her master’s degree from the same institution. Since year 2000 Z. Errsa teaches at the Choreography Department of JVLMA and is the Head of the Choreography Department; since 2017 she is a professor of JVLMA.

In 1995 Zita Errs founded her own ballet studio - currently she leads it as a teacher and a choreographer. Her ballet students have won prestigious international awards in competitions and festivals in Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, Switzerland and Germany.

Awards and honorary titles bestowed upon Zita Errs: bronze medal at VI International Ballet Artists Competition in Varna (1972), laureate of LĻKJS award (1974), Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Artist of Merit (1975), Artist of Merit of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (1976), People’s Artist of the USSR (1989), Latvian Theatre Association Spēlmaņu Nakts (Actor’s Night) award to The Best Ballerina (1995), The Three-Star Order of the IV class (2003).