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Vaslav Nijinsky caused a sensation from his first public performance
at the Maryinsky Theatre in St Petersburg in 1907.
He became part of Diaghilev’s circle and his lover. In 1909 he
travelled to Paris with the Diaghilev company. On the first night
he danced the Favourite Slave in Fokine’s ballet Le Pavillon
d’Armide. He was so excited by the audience’s enthusiasm
that at the end of his solo he jumped off stage and was still
travelling upwards as he reached the wings. The audience went
mad. He became the darling of French society – and the slave’s
black choker became the height of fashion. He was feted like a
rock star and his dresser used to sell petals from his costume
in Le Spectre de la Rose to his fans.
In 1911 Nijinsky was dismissed from the Russian Imperial theatres,
allegedly for a breach of discipline. Many believe that Diaghilev
engineered the incident so that Nijinsky would be free to be the
star of his permanent company. Nijinsky succeeded Fokine as Diaghilev’s
choreographer. His work was controversial. In The Rite of
Spring, his dancers stood with feet turned in rather than
the usual
turnout position and moved in asymmetric groups. In L’apres midi d’un
faun the dancers moved as though on a Greek frieze, in profile
to the audience. Nothing like it had been seen before.
In 1913 Nijinsky fell in love with Romola de Pulsky, and married
her. Diaghilev in a jealous rage sacked him. Nijinsky tried to
start a company in London but after only a week he became ill,
unable to cope with the stresses of performance and running a
company. Tragically, by 1919 he was so mentally disturbed that
he never danced again. He died in England in 1950.
After World War 2 it was falsely reported that Nijinsky had
been killed by the Nazis.
Nijinsky became a 20th century legend. His wife’s biography
was a best seller. Hollywood filmed his life, ballets have been
choreographed about him and a racehorse was named after him.
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Introduction
18th Century Satire
