Dancer: Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky
Dancer
Vaslav Nijinsky was born in Kiev on March 12, 1888 to dancers Eleonora Bereda and Forma Nijinsky. In 1898 at the age of 10, he became a student at the Imperial Ballet School. He graduated in 1907 and became a premier danseur with the Marinsky Theater. In 1913, Nijinsky began touring with the Ballets Russes under choreographer and lover Sergei Diaghilev. He toured Paris with the Ballets Russes dancing roles in such ballets as Les Sylphides and Scheherazade. During his time, Nijinsky danced with many famous ballerinas, including Anna Pavlova, but his favorite ballerina to share the stage with was Tamara Karsavina. Toward the end of his life, Nijinsky became psychotic and was constantly in and out of mental institutions. Finally, he moved to London with his wife Romola de Pulszky, whom he met while on tour in South America, and the rest of his family. He died there under the care and supervision of his loved ones in 1950. The most famous male dancer of his time, Nijinsky will forever be remembered for his style and effortless jumps.
The History of the Russian Ballet, The Vaganova Academy, The Bolshoi Theater, The Marinsky Theater, Anna Pavlova, Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova, Natalya Dudinskaya, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, George Balanchine, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Music of Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, Image Sources, Works Consulted
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