Vlastimil Harapes
Czech dancer, choreographer and actor (1946–2024)
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Vlastimil Harapes (24 July 1946 – 15 May 2024) was a Czech dancer, choreographer and actor. He served as the artistic director of the Prague Conservatory.
Vlastimil Harapes | |
|---|---|
Harapes in 2013 | |
| Born | 24 July 1946 |
| Died | 15 May 2024 (aged 77) Prague, Czech Republic |
| Education | Prague Dance Conservatory |
| Years active | 1964–2024 |
Political party | Independent |
Other political affiliations | ANO 2011 |
| Spouse(s) |
Elena Strupková
(divorced) |
| Partner | Josef Topol (1971–2015) |
Life and career
Harapes was born in a hospital in Chomutov on 24 July 1946, and but was native of Droužkovice, where he lived until the age of 14.[1] His parents led an amateur theatre company, which allowed him to start acting at the age of five.[2] After graduating from the Prague Dance Conservatory in 1965, he got a job at the National Theatre, where he was a soloist until his death.[3] He also studied dance in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[2][3]
His first wife was Elena Strupková.[4] In 1986, he married singer Hana Zagorová in order to adopt a child, and the marriage lasted until 1992.[4][5] However, Harapes lived with a male poet, Josef Topol, for over 44 years. Their relationship was kept a secret until it was revealed to the public in 2013.[6][7]
Harapes acted in several films throughout his career, notably in Jak vytrhnout velrybě stoličku (directed by Marie Poledňákové) and Marketa Lazarová (directed by František Vláčil).[8] However, most over his performances were overdubbed over by other actors.[8] With his then wife Zagorová, he performed occasionally as a singer. In 2006, he was a judge in the first season of the show StarDance.
Harapes succumbed to lung cancer[9] on 15 May 2024, at the age of 77.[10][11]
In 2026, Harapes was buried in the Slavín tomb of the Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague, which is intended for the most important personalities of Czech culture.[12]
Awards
- 1976: Merited Artist of Czechoslovakia
- 1980: Merited Artist of the National Theatre in Prague
- 1989: People's Artist of Czechoslovakia
- 2011: Thalia Award for Lifetime Achievement in Ballet
Selected filmography
- 1964: Starci na chmelu
- 1967: Marketa Lazarová... Kristián
- 1968: Královský omyl
- 1971: F. L. Věk
- 1976: Day for My Love (voice dubbing František Němec)
- 1977: Jak vytrhnout velrybě stoličku (voice dubbing Jiří Klem)
- 1978: Jak dostat tatínka do polepšovny (voice dubbing Jiří Klem)
- 1978: Beauty and the Beast... the Beast (voice dubbing Jiří Zahajský)
- 1986: Operace mé dcery
- 2004: Bolero
- 2004: Rodinná pouta
- 2006: Jak se krotí krokodýli
- 2008: Comeback... cameo appearance
Political activism
In 1977, Harapes signed the Anticharter[13] In the 2016 Czech Senate election, he ran as an Independent candidate, backed by the ANO 2011 Party, in District No. 25.[14] He captured 13.30% of the vote, finishing fourth place and did not advance to the second round.[15]
