Renowned choreographer from Tirana, Tasim Dajçi, has shared an emotional account of his life and artistic career, telling how he took on one of his greatest challenges: the establishment and development of ballet in Peja.
Dajçi recalls his beginnings in the city of Peja, where the late Riza Lluka gave him his first confidence to produce a play.
"I did my first show with tears and pride," he says, describing that moment as a turning point in his artistic career.
Dajçi emotionally recounts the moment he received an unexpected phone call. A man with a deep voice called him and asked to meet him at any cost. That man was Riza Lluka.
The story began in Prevalla, where Lluka had seen a little girl doing ballet elements and, impressed by her talent, had asked her parents where she had learned.
According to him, the answer was simple, from a professor from Tirana named Tasim Dajçi.
"I definitely want to meet you, and I don't want the word 'no' from you," Lluka had told him on the phone. Initially hesitant, Dajçi accepted the meeting, not knowing that this would be a decisive turning point in his journey.
At that time, Dajçi was engaged in several cities such as Suhareka, Gjakova, Ferizaj and Prizren, but Riza's insistence was that Peja should have its own ballet.
"You must leave me one of these," Lluka had told him, Dajçi recounted in "Inkk ”
Within a day, with the support of local businesses, the ballet hall was built.
"Here you have it," Lluka said, handing over the space where a new chapter for performing arts in Peja would be born.
After three months of intensive work, Dajçi created a highly choreographed performance.
Riza's reaction was one that would deeply touch the choreographer.
"Professor, not only have you disappointed me, but you have moved me," he had said with tears in his eyes.
Today, after 27 years of work in Kosovo, Dajçi is proud of the results. He emphasizes that his students constantly win awards at festivals in Tirana and beyond, representing Peja and Kosovo with dignity.
"I'm doing a wonderful job, not to praise myself, but because I feel it and others, professors and colleagues with whom I've danced my whole life, tell me so," he says.
On this journey, he also appreciates the great support from the mayor of Peja, Gazmend Muhaxheri, for whom he says that without his support, many things would have been impossible.
Otherwise, Riza Lluka had national, intellectual, diplomatic, cultural and historical values.
A brave man, who remained faithful to his ideals until his last breath, for which he will always be remembered. On March 23, 1989, in the Assembly of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, contrary to the will of the citizens, the 1974 Constitution would be amended, thus suppressing Kosovo's autonomy in the Yugoslav Federation, leaving it as an integral part of Serbia, where Riza Lluka was a deputy.
Lluka (1943-2014) was among the rare ones who voted against the suppression of autonomy.
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