Czech dance great Vlastimil Harapes dies at 77

The well-known Czech dancer and actor Vlastimil Harapes has died at the age of 77, a spokesperson for the National Theatre announced. Mr. Harapes was a long-time soloist with the National Theatre Ballet and later led the company as artistic director.

The dancer helped bring dance to a wider audience in Czechoslovakia and also appeared in films, such as the 1967 classic Marketa Lazarová.