Nijinsky V.F., (1890-1950), ballet dancer

Categories / Art/Music, Theatre/Personalia
NIJINSKY Vaclav Fomich (1889, according to other reports, 1890-1950), a ballet dancer and choreographer. A native of Poland, he studied under M. K. Obukhov at the Petersburg Theatre School to graduate in 1907. He then joined the company of Mariinsky Theatre to dance main roles in M. I. Petipa's Vain Precaution, Sleeping Beauty (Blue Bird), and Giselle and M. M. Fokine's Armida's Pavillion (Armida's Slave), Chopiniana, Egyptian Nights (Cleopatra's Slave), etc. The leading dancer of the Russian Seasons Abroad from 1909 and Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1913, he played key roles in Fokine's Carnival, Scheherazade, Petrushka, etc. An outstanding dancer of the 20th century, Nijinsky soared on the wings of dance, his manners and grace reminding one of fantastic creatures, although with a refined touch of youthful elegance coming out when demanded. As a choreographer, he created Afternoon of the Faun in 1912 and Games based on C. Debussy's music, I. F. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in 1913, and Till Eulenspiegel based on R. Strauss's music in 1916. The latest word in choreography, Nijinsky's ballets struck down the canons of the 19th and 20th centuries. His experiments resulted in the so-called modern dance. He had to leave Mariinsky Theatre in 1911 and Diaghilev's company in 1913 at first and 1916 for ever. His psychiatric illness flared up in 1917. He danced for the last time on the stage in 1919. He lived at 13 Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street.

Works: Feeling: Notebooks published in Moscow in 2000.

Reference: Красовская В. М. Нижинский. Л., 1974; Бакл Р. Вацлав Нижинский: Новатор и любовник. М., 2001.

G. N. Dobrovolskaya. Debussy Claude Achille
Dyagilev Sergey Pavlovich
Fokin Mikhail Mikhailovich
Nijinsky Vaclav Fomich
Obukhov Mikhail Konstantinovich
Petipa Marius Ivanovich
Strauss Richard
Stravinsky Igor Fedorovich
Bolshaya Konyushennaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 13
Чувство: Тетради. М., 2000
Красовская В. М. Нижинский. Л., 1974
Бакл Р. Вацлав Нижинский: Новатор и любовник. М., 2001 Theatre College
Mariinsky Theatre