Dilaver Kryeziu: A Life Devoted to Dance

A career that dates back to childhood:

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His fate was perhaps sealed when he was only a child. "When I was around 12 years old, I was asked to dance for a 'msit,' which is when a group of people ask for a woman's hand in marriage on behalf of the groom. Back then, tradition required very good dancers to perform at a msit, because this was a special occasion," he recalls.

People were clearly impressed. "I danced and then, after a while, they asked me to dance again. Back then it was unheard-of - to ask someone to dance twice. Perhaps this was a turning point, when I realized that my real passion was dancing," Kryeziu says.

He continued his journey to the Kosovo capital, Pristina, where he enrolled at the Xhevdet Doda gymnasium.

"Having in mind my hometown as well as my passion for dancing, people often invited me over to their places to dance. 'We have Dilaver with us,' was something I heard often, especially from the wedding musicians," he states.

But by the time Kryeziu had completed his high school in Pristina in 1977, he was still unaware that he had already laid the foundations of a dream that would bring him great success in the years to come.

As a graduate student, he joined the student ensemble "Ramiz Sadiku" at the University of Pristina. He mentions one name quite often in that context, that of Panajot Kanaçi.

"When I finished high school, I enrolled in the Faculty of Economics. I started out pretty well and passed all six required exams for the first semester. I was optimistic that this was the way to go.

But then Panajot Kanaçi visited Pristina, a man otherwise known as the father of the Albanian choreography. Back then, I was part of the Student Ensemble led by Xhemajli...