DAVIČO, LUJO

DAVIČO, LUJO (1908–1942), Yugoslav dancer and ballet teacher. Davičo was born in Belgrade (Serbia) of a large Sephardi family and studied ballet using Jacques Dalcroze's method in Geneva. In the 1930s he worked in Belgrade as a teacher and creator of dance performances following Dalcroze's method. He choreographed ballets accompanied by rhythm movements alone. Among his choreographies are kharaj (meaning Muslim land tax), Dalcroze March, and League of Nation. His choreography also used folklore elements. As a freedom fighter opposing the Nazi-Italian occupation of Yugoslavia in 1941, he escaped to Montenegro and was killed participating in an attack on a group of Italian officers. A Belgrade ballet school was named after him. The Serbian National Ballet is named for him. (Amnon Shiloah (2nd ed.)