In memoriam full prof. Sanja Garić
With sincerely and deeply remorse we inform academic and cultural public that our colleague and former dean of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts – Cetinje, full prof. Sanja Garić, born 1967, after long and severe illness passed away today at the age of 54 at the Clinical Center of Montenegro.
Full prof. Sanja Garić completed elementary ballet school in Podgorica and secondary ballet school in Novi Sad, at the class of prof. Vera Fella. Then she stayed for two years in Russia, perfecting in the field of classical ballet, at the prominent GITIS, at the class of N.N. Orlovska and after that she completed Preschool Education at the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić. She completed five year studies at the Moscow GITIS, at the class of prof. L.M. Talankina and acquired diploma of pedagogue – choreographer, specialized for musical and drama theatre.
She was honored with Red Diploma which is given to the best students.
She was engaged at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje since 2001. After the status of a part-time associate in the subject Movement - Dance segment, she started working in 2003, as a teaching associate in the subject Dance, and from the academic year 2004/05 she is entrusted with independent teaching. She was elected assistant professor in 2009, associate professor in 2014, and full professor in 2020. During 2007/08 and 2008/09 she was the Acting Vice-Dean for Teaching, and from 2010/11 until 2015 Vice-Dean for Teaching. From 2013 to 2019, she was a member of the Professional Council of the University of Montenegro (Council for the Arts), and the dean of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in the term of office 2017-2020 years.
Full prof. Sanja Garić was active in the field of choreography and dance pedagogy, and she contributed to the affirmation of this art in Montenegro through various projects, lectures and writing about the game. She was one of the founders of the Allegro Game Festival. She was an active member of the International Dance Association China-CEEC Dance Culture Union. She realized numerous and diverse authorial works - choreographic miniatures, dance performances, video-choreographic works, many of which have participated in domestic and international festivals (highlights: Venice Biennale, Belgrade Short Film Festival, SEE Paris Cinematography Festival, Herceg Film Festival The new).
In recent years, the focus of her interests was the art of social change and in this field she achieved successful cooperation with UNICEF, on the implementation of the author's project Traveling Theater, within the campaign Everyone in kindergarten (promotion of preschool education in northern Montenegro), UNICEF and the Ministry of Education of Montenegro, during 2015 and 2016. She was the author of the theater performance I am Nada, where, as part of the Every Child Needs a Family campaign, UNICEF and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, she had the opportunity to collaborate with the famous British actor Nicholas Lindhurst. Also, she realized the project Living Statue, within the campaign Stop Violence, UNICEF and the Government of Montenegro, in 2017.
At the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, she established the Dance Laboratory, which conducts research in the field of dance art through workshops, experiments, choreographic and performing arts and is the only research dance studio of academic level in Montenegro. The acting and dance troupe Dance Lab FDU has realized a number of projects, and in 2018 it participated in the International Dance Festival in Beijing.
We will remember full prof. Sanja Garić as a brave woman who with her authority and understanding contributed to the development of our institution and the progress of the Montenegrin choreographic, ballet and dance scene. Her commitment to the emancipation of choreographic and dance pedagogy in academic and professional circles is best witnessed by her many former students and prominent alumni of FDU Cetinje.
Sanja Garić will be remembered by many friends, colleagues, professors and students for her nobility, high moral principles and unreserved support and love that she provided to her students in her work, but also for her unsurpassed charm and sense of humor.
Telegrams of condolence can be sent to the address: Bul. Save Kovačevića, no. 50. 81000, Podgorica.
A commemoration on the occasion of the death of our former dean and dear colleague will be held in the Blue Hall of the Rectorate of the University of Montenegro on Monday, May 17 at 11am.
Our beloved Sanja, rest in peace.
Your Faculty of Dramatic Arts - Cetinje