Marina Keet Grut
Marina Keet Grut died peacefully at home on June 21st 2022 at the age of 87. Her funeral was a small family affair, but it was followed by a more public Celebration of her life and work, which took place in Wimbledon, London, on September 24th 2022. Her grandson Julius recorded the hour-long event to allow us to share it with her many friends and former colleagues all over the world.
Marina: A Celebration.
CONTENTS (00) Welcome by Marina’s son, Edmund; (1:21) Extracts from Marina’s autobiography & a message from Richard Glasstone, read by Marina’s daughter, Vicky; (10:24); Recollections of 63 happy years of marriage, Mikael Grut; (29:29) A long creative friendship, Mavis Becker; (32:35) The Washington Years, Nancy Heller; (39:16) Marina and the Spanish Dance Society, Conchita del Campo; (51:20) A dance from Marina’s Escuela Bolero DVD, ‘Los Caracoles’; Live performances by students from Nuria Garcia’s dance studio: (52:30) El Vito; (57:09) Allegrias; (1:05:11) all SDS members dancing a Sevillanas ‘Algo se muere en alma’. Ends at (1:09)
Please leave your thoughts and remembrances at the bottom of this page (where it says ‘comment’) Feel free to attach a photo if you would like.
Marina had a wonderful and deep understanding of ballet. She gave a wonderful talk about the Royal Swedish Ballet at Glass Restaurant to the Anglo-Swedish Society. She will be missed.
I don’t think there are enough or correct words to describe the amazing Marina! I have never met someone so intelligent and kind and fun and delightful in my life! So of course when I had my daughter I named her Marina too! In the brief time I got to know her in Washington DC she was always supportive of everyone and that is truly amazing! I’m pretty sure the Angels are enjoying dancing with her now with her amazing expertise! Love you Marina, DeAnna
My Dearest Friend and Colleague,
I love you. I watched you move mountains, build temples, calm the waves with love, passion, and determination.
No one will ever forget you….not now….not in the future.
I will miss you terribly.
Maida Withers
Washington, DC
It was almost exactly 40 years ago now that a curious lady came to observe our Israeli dance session at George Washington University and waylaid me, saying out of the blue, in a crisp British accent, “I’ll teach you Spanish Dance and put you in a show.” And she did. And she changed my life irrevocably. I grew to love and admire her for her warmth, her knowledge, her scholarship, her guts, her indomitable spirit, the clarity of her teaching, and her theatrical sense. She was hard to resist. Not only did I learn some Spanish dance, but I learned how to stand and how to stretch, what went on behind the scenes in putting on a show, and best of all, I learned to appreciate and love a fascinating and complex art form I had known nothing about before Marina came into my life. Marina will forever live on in my memories. I will love her always!
Happy days in Stockholm to remember when we miss Marina!
One of Marina and Mikael’s long-awaited summer visits with the whole family to Sigtuna in August 2016. Here on the Carina Ari Library’s terrace in central Stockholm with Michael Schmidt (IT responsible for the Carina Ari foundations), Mikael Grut (doctor of forest science and Marina’s husband), Satu Mariia Harjanne (director of the Carina Ari Library and responsible for the foundations’ office), Anders Jörlén (longtime chairman of the Royal Opera Ballet Club, Carina Ari medalist 2011), Marina Grut (specialist in Spanish dance and dance history, Carina Ari medalist 2008) and Peter Bohlin (dance writer and librarian at the Carina Ari Library).
To never again hear Marina’s lively voice on the phone is incomprehensibly sad. The loss becomes greater with the insight.
Keep on shining dear President Dame Marina, you will always be remembered.
Love
Eldridge xxxx
My Spanish Dance journey started when I attend a summer school taught by Dame Marina Keet, her enthusiasm encouraging me to take my first SDS exams at the end of the week. Her encouragement and incredible knowledge helped me to progress to higher levels. Memories of her generosity as she took me under her wing when I bumped into her in 2005 in Copenhagen for the 200th anniversary of the Royal Danish Ballet Company. She invited me as her guest with all the journalists and important dance critics on a private tour of Det Kongelige Theatre. Thank you for all the memories, your encouragement and knowledge. R.I.P but keep dancing!
Dear Marina,
Berit and I had the great pleasure to meet
you a couple of times. I was impressed about your knowledge in common, especially about ballet.
Maybe you and Berit, who passed away in September 2021, Will meet in heaven?
RIP
Bert
I first met Marina Keet at Elmhurst Ballet School many moons ago. She was my examiner for all my grades right up to PAE. We all adored her! She made the exams such fun and put us at ease right away. Marina was such an intelligent and knowledgeable woman. Her work will live live on for posterity through her many books and articles which have been invaluable to us all. Condolences to her family.
Marina Keet Grut is a legacy. She will live on through all her wonderful publications. Her Escuela Bolera book is a renowned textbook even in Spain. A lady of integrity, intelligence, and creativity. Her amazing studies in all aspects of Spanish folk dance. But above all a friend. Someone who was always there to give advice and guidance. I have always looked up in awe to this wonderful soul. Marina Keet helped me constantly throughout my career. I will miss you, but you will always remain in my heart. My sincere condolences to all your family. You are now resting in peace and dancing with the angels.
I remember Dame Marina at one of the SDS summer schools saying that it was so lovely to see so many beautiful eyes there.
She had the kindest eyes and whenever she would be my examiner I would always feel reassured and inspired to do my best. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for her.
Querida familia, tuvimos el inmenso placer de conocer a la Sra. Marina cuando vino a Rubí (Barcelona) invitada de mi tío, el coreógrafo y bailarín Joan Fosas Carreras, para aprender los pasos del montaje del baile El Bolero de Alcúdia. La recordamos siempre sonriente, enérgica, vital, optimista, brillante, educada, amable… un torbellino de mujer!. Maravillosa bailarina y directora pero entrañable y mejor persona.
Fue una semana intensa: la llevamos a visitar algunos lugares típicos de los alrededores, probó maravillada la gastronomía catalana (el pan con tomate y jamón, que tanto le gustaba) y en esas sobremesas, nos explicaba anécdotas de sus viajes por el mundo, sus experiencias con el grupo Spanish Dance Society y nos contagiaba con su entusiasmo.
Años más tarde, ella invitó a mis padres y a mi tio a su casa de Londres para el estreno del Bolero y más tarde, fuí yo con mi tio a Nueva Orleans para acompañarlos a las clases magistrales que dieron a los alumnos de baile. Experiencias, momentos, conversaciones, risas y personas únicas e inolvidables… eso es lo que nos regala la vida si sabemos verlo con los ojos del corazón.
Marina y Joan eran grandes profesionales a los que unía una chispa maravillosa: su pasión por la danza.
GRACIAS por dejárnosla unos días, por haberla conocido, por habernos encontrado por el camino y por pensar en nosotros cada año en las larguíssimas postales de Navidad que nos hacía llegar. Un abrazo para todos, especialmente enorme para Mikel.
Núria, Rosa, Pedro, Jaime y Núria
Marina was a legend and will be remembered and loved so fondly.
Marina and I met in 1965 and became inseparable friends and working colleagues. We worked together with Enrique Segovia (Geoff) to compile the syllabus for the Spanish Dance Society. Together we spread Spanish Dancing throughout the world.
Marina was so incredibly knowledgeable and intelligent and was always so happy to share and pass on all that she knew.
She was the matriach of the Spanish Dance Society and will be sorely missed.
Always in my heart.
Marina was inspiring, dynamic, knowledgeable, encouraging, generous and good-humoured. She shaped a major portion of my experience in the first few decades after my arrival in the United States, after I had discovered SDS through a review of a Society performance written by Nancy Heller, and I had contacted Marina through her ever-supportive husband Mikael, who was working in the same organization as me. Her energy drew me out of my “comfort zone” into performances, and adventures, in venues I otherwise couldn’t have imagined myself playing in, and for this I am eternally grateful. Through her, I met outstanding dancers, musicians and singers, and made friendships that still continue today. I know that she had a similarly enriching influence on many people, and all of us will be forever grateful. May she rest in peace (but can we really imagine Marina just resting… ?).
I’m just one of the many people whose personal and professional lives were shaped by Marina, who I met after watching my old Israeli folk-dance buddies perform her beautiful choreography to Ravel’s “Bolero” in the early 1980s. I immediately started taking the Spanish-dance classes she offered at George Washington University and was smitten by her energy, grace, artistic taste, and sense of fun. I soon joined Marina’s DC performance troupe and was able to fulfill a lifelong fantasy: dressing up in ruffled dresses and fringed shawls while playing castanets, onstage, at all sorts of impressive-sounding venues, from the Spanish Embassy to Smithsonian museums and the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater. Marina taught me how to teach Spanish dance, which opened up a number of other doors; she also sparked my interest in visual art related to Spanish dance, which has been my professional specialty for the past few decades.
Most important, Marina gave me the chance to meet a whole host of amazing people–herself and Mikael, first and foremost, but also the impressive dancers who came to work with us from South Africa, England, Spain, and elsewhere. And, of course, she’s responsible for my getting to know the other members of our Spanish Dance Theatre, now among my closest friends.
Nobody can cook a better chicken pie than Marina, present a more memorable Lecture-Demonstration, or inspire more love and devotion that she did. Marina was truly one of a kind, and I feel so very lucky to have known her.
Marina was an inspiration to us all and a special mentor to us Spanish Dancers.
As soon as she arrived in the UK, Marina inspired and motivated us with her creative and joyful spirit.
She brought the UK and European Branch of the Spanish Dance Society out of the doldrums.
Her energy and drive was Extraordinary.
Her bright spark shone wherever she went.
She was so confident and fearless and easily approached Antonio Najarro and Tamara Rojo to be our Patrons.
It was always a pleasure to work with her because she had a wonderful sense of humour and kept us in stitches with her jokes and anecdotes.
She generously shared her knowledge, experience and love of Spanish Dance and music with all of us.
She organised and encouraged us to help her present showcases at Summer Schools, performances at various London theatres, and to create an Escuela Bolero video to accompany her book ‘The Bolero School’.
Marina was very considerate and understood that dancing is a tough profession. She showered us with so much appreciation for our efforts. Often sending us cards and letters expressing her sincere gratitude, so that when she said ‘Jump’ we would say ‘How High?’.
I and many others have been very blessed to have met such caring and loving people as Marina and Mikael, and to have shared so many happy moments together.
Although her body is now resting in peace, she has left us a wonderful legacy, amazing memories, and her beautiful spirit will always be with us to cheer us up and egg us onwards and upwards. Such a gregarious loving person will be missed by all who knew her.
Thank you Marina for brightening our lives.
Picture of Conchita, Marina and Mikael with Eloy Pericet