God's clown Who was the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky - a genius or a sick man

Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky(Polish Wacław Niżyński; March 12, Kyiv, Russian Empire - or April 11, London, UK) - Russian dancer and choreographer of Polish origin, dance innovator. One of the leading members of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. Brother of dancer Bronislava Nijinska. Choreographer of the ballets The Rite of Spring, The Afternoon of a Faun, The Games and Till Ulenspiegel.

Biography

Born in Kyiv, the second son in the family of Polish ballet dancers - the first number of Tomasz Nijinsky and soloist Eleonora Bereda. Eleanor was 33 and five years older than her husband. Wenceslas was baptized as a Catholic in Warsaw. Two years later, their third child was born - daughter Bronislava. From 1882 to 1894, the parents toured with the Josef Setov ballet troupe. The father introduced all children to dancing from early childhood. Vatslav first performed on stage when he was five years old, dancing a hopak as an entreprise at the Odessa Theatre.

After the death of Josef Setov in 1894, his troupe broke up. Nizhinsky, the father, tried to create his own troupe, but soon burned out, years of difficult wanderings and odd jobs began. Probably, Vaclav helped his father by performing at the holidays with small numbers. It is known that he performed in Nizhny Novgorod at Christmas. In 1897, while on tour in Finland, Nijinsky the father fell in love with another, the young soloist Rumyantseva. Parents divorced. Eleanor with three children went to St. Petersburg, where a friend of her young years, the Polish dancer Stanislav Gillert, was a teacher at the St. Petersburg Ballet School. Gillert promised to help her.

The eldest son of the Nizhinskys, Stanislav (Stasik), fell out of the window as a child and since then has been “a little out of this world”, and the gifted and well-trained Vaclav was accepted into the ballet class quite easily. Two years later, his sister, Bronya, entered the same school. At school, some oddities began to appear in the character of Vaclav, once he even got to be examined in a clinic for the mentally ill - apparently, some kind of hereditary disease had an effect. However, his talent as a dancer was undeniable and quickly attracted the attention of a teacher, once an outstanding, but already a little old-fashioned, dancer, N. Legat.

Since March 1905, the innovative teacher of the school, Mikhail Fokin, staged a responsible examination ballet for graduates. It was his first ballet as a choreographer - he chose Acis and Galatea. Fokine invited Nijinsky to play the part of the faun, although he was not a graduate. On Sunday, April 10, 1905, a demonstration performance took place at the Mariinsky Theater, reviews appeared in the newspapers, and in everyone they noted the extraordinary talent of the young Nijinsky:

Graduate Nizhinsky amazed everyone: the young artist is barely 15 years old and will have to spend two more years at school. It is all the more pleasant to see such exceptional data. Lightness and elevation, together with wonderfully smooth and beautiful movements, are amazing [...] It remains to be wished that the 15-year-old artist does not remain a child prodigy, but continues to improve.

From 1906 to January 1911 Nijinsky performed at the Mariinsky Theatre. He was fired from the Mariinsky Theater with a big scandal at the request of the imperial family, as he performed in the ballet Giselle in a costume that was considered indecent.

Almost immediately after graduating from the school, Nijinsky was invited by S. P. Diaghilev to participate in the ballet season, where he gained great success. For his ability for high jumps and long-term elevation, he was called the bird-man, the second Vestris.

In Paris, they danced a repertoire tested on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater (“Pavilion of Armida”, 1907; “La Sylphides”, 1907; “Cleopatra”, 1909 (revised from “Egyptian Nights” (1908)); “Giselle”, 1910; “Swan lake", 1911), as well as the divertissement "Feast" to the music of Russian composers, 1909; and parts in Fokine's new ballets, "Carnival" to the music of R. Schumann, 1910; "Scheherazade" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, 1910; “Orientals” in numbers to music by E. Grieg and K. A. Sinding, orchestrated by I. F. Stravinsky, 1910; The Vision of a Rose by C. M. Weber, 1911, in which he startled the Parisian public with a fantastic window jump; Petrushka by I. F. Stravinsky, 1911; The Blue God by R. Ana, 1912; Daphnis and Chloe by M. Ravel, 1912.

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Choreographer

Encouraged by Diaghilev, Nijinsky tried his hand as a choreographer and, secretly from Fokine, rehearsed his first ballet - The Afternoon of a Faun to music by C. Debussy (1912). He built his choreography on profile poses borrowed from ancient Greek vase painting. Like Diaghilev, Nijinsky was fascinated by Dalcroze's rhythmoplasty and eurythmics, in the aesthetics of which he staged his next and most significant ballet, The Rite of Spring, in 1913. The Rite of Spring, written by Stravinsky with a free use of dissonance, albeit based on tonality, and choreographically built on complex combinations of rhythms, became one of the first expressionist ballets. The ballet was not immediately accepted, and its premiere ended in scandal, as did The Afternoon of a Faun, which shocked the audience with its final erotic scene. In the same year, he performed the plotless ballet "Games" by C. Debussy. These productions of Nijinsky were characterized by anti-romanticism and opposition to the usual elegance of the classical style.

The Parisian public was fascinated by the undoubted dramatic talent of the artist, his exotic appearance. Nijinsky turned out to be a bold and original-minded choreographer who opened up new paths in plastique and restored male dance to its former priority and virtuosity. Nijinsky owed his success to Diaghilev, who believed and supported him in his daring experiments.

Personal life

In his youth, Nijinsky had an intimate relationship with Prince Pavel Dmitrievich Lvov, and later with Diaghilev. In 1913, after the departure of the troupe on a South American tour, he met on a ship with a Hungarian aristocrat and his admirer Romola Pula. Having gone ashore, on September 10, 1913, they secretly got married from everyone, including family members. Diaghilev, having learned about the incident from a telegram from his servant Vasily, assigned to look after Nijinsky, fell into a rage and immediately expelled the dancer from the troupe - in fact, this put an end to his short dizzying career. Being a favorite of Diaghilev, Nijinsky did not sign any contracts with him and did not receive a salary, like other artists - Diaghilev simply paid all his expenses from his own pocket. It was this fact that allowed the impresario to get rid of the artist who became objectionable without any delay.

Entreprise

After leaving Diaghilev, Nijinsky found himself in difficult conditions. It was necessary to earn a livelihood. A dance genius, he did not have the ability of a producer. The proposal to lead the ballet "Grand Opera" in Paris rejected, deciding to create his own entreprise. It was possible to assemble a troupe of seventeen people (it included Bronislava's sister and her husband, who also left Diaghilev) and conclude a contract with the London Palace Theater. The repertoire consisted of performances by Nijinsky and, in part, by M. Fokin (The Phantom of the Rose, Carnival, La Sylphides, which Nijinsky remade anew). However, the tour was not successful and ended in financial failure, which led to a nervous breakdown and the beginning of the artist's mental illness. Failure followed him.

Latest Premiere

Reburial of ashes

In 1953, his body was transported to Paris and buried in the Montmartre cemetery next to the graves of the legendary dancer G. Vestris and playwright T. Gauthier, one of the creators of the romantic ballet. On his tombstone of gray stone sits a sad bronze jester.

The meaning of Nijinsky's personality

• Critics [ who?] called Nijinsky "the eighth wonder of the world", praising his talent. His partners were Tamara Karsavina, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Anna Pavlova, Olga Spesivtseva. When he - the god of ballet - hung in a jump over the stage, it seemed that a person was able to become weightless.

He refuted all the laws of balance and turned them upside down, he resembles a human figure painted on the ceiling, he easily feels himself in the air…

Nijinsky possessed a rare ability of complete external and internal reincarnation:

I'm scared, I see the greatest actor in the world.

Caught on the edge of bliss, Uncompromising, like a poet, Nijinsky, with the strength not of a woman, Twisted an air pirouette.

Giving birth to mountain peaks, He, in spite of the spirit of gravity, Now unclenched like a spring, Now hung, raising his wing.

As if tremulously at will Fearlessly escaped the soul His impetuousness in the role, His magical entrecha.

He looked into other distances, Called to himself an unearthly light, And this somersault-immortale

Rotates the Earth for many years.

• Nijinsky made a bold breakthrough into the future of ballet art, discovered the later established style of expressionism and fundamentally new possibilities of plasticity. His creative life was short (only ten years), but intense. The famous ballet by Maurice Bejart in 1971 "Nijinsky, the Clown of God" to the music of Pierre Henri and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is dedicated to the personality of Nijinsky.

• Nijinsky was the idol of his time. His dance combined strength and lightness, he amazed the audience with his breathtaking jumps - it seemed to many that the dancer was "hanging" in the air. He possessed a wonderful gift of reincarnation, extraordinary mimic abilities. On stage, he exuded a powerful magnetism, although in everyday life he was timid and silent.

Awards

Memory

• In the year in Monaco was established Nijinsky Prize, which is awarded to ballet dancers and choreographers.
• As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Ballets Russes, on June 11, 2011, a bronze sculpture of Vaslav and Bronislav Nijinsky in the image of Faun and Nymph from the ballet The Afternoon of a Faun was installed in the foyer of the Warsaw Bolshoi Theater (sculptor Gennady Ershov).

Image in art

In the theatre

• October 8 - "Nijinsky, God's Clown", a ballet by Maurice Béjart based on the diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky (" Ballet of the 20th century”, Brussels, in the role of Nijinsky - Jorge Donn).
• July 21 - “Wenceslas”, ballet by John Neumeier according to the scenario plan of the unrealized production of Vaslav Nijinsky using the music of J. S. Bach chosen by him ( Hamburg ballet).
• 1993 - "Nijinsky" based on the play by Alexei Burykin (Theatrical Agency "BOGIS", in the role of Nijinsky Oleg Menshikov).
• 1999 - "Nijinsky, God's Crazy Clown", a performance based on the play by Glen Blumstein (1986, the theater on Malaya Bronnaya, in the role of Nijinsky Alexander Domogarov).
• July 2 - Nijinsky, ballet by John Neumeier (Hamburg Ballet, starring Jiri Bubenichek).
• March 22, 2008 - "Nijinsky, God's crazy clown", a performance based on the play by Glen Blumstein (Puppet Theater named after S. V. Obraztsov (director and starring Andrei Dennikov).
• April 19, 2008 - NN(choreographer Richard Kalinowski, Lublin Dance Theatre)
• June 28 - The Pavilion of Armida, ballet by John Neumeier (Hamburg Ballet, in the role of Nijinsky Otto Bubenichek and Alexander Ryabko).
• - "A Letter to a Man", a play by Robert Wilson based on the dancer's diaries (as Nijinsky

In 1907, eighteen-year-old Vaslav Nijinsky was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. Short, only 160 cm, with too muscular legs and a face of a faun, he stepped onto the stage, and it quickly became clear that there was a new premiere in the theater. Nijinsky perfectly felt the style and masterfully reincarnated. He was exquisitely graceful.

He was a man half a century ahead of his time; his life was an erotic spectacle—deeply narcissistic, visceral, laid-back; his work captured the rhythm of the life of a generation gradually drawn into the sinister carnival of the First World War.

Andrew O'Hagan, st. "Nijinsky's Diary"

His partners were Kshesinskaya, Preobrazhenskaya, Karsavina. Nijinsky danced the main roles in M. Fokine's ballets The Pavilion of Armida (White Slave), Egyptian Nights (Slave), Chopiniana (Young Man).

Once, when Giselle was staged, Vatslav arbitrarily put on a costume designed by A. Benois. It was a reconstruction of a 14th century German costume. Prior to that, wide trousers were worn in men's ballet. Seeing the male body indecently covered with tights, the empress laughed (then they will write: "... this caused confusion in the royal box." Presumably, it was so: the husband was sitting next to the empress), and Wenceslas was expelled. The artist of the royal ballet should not cause laughter. The word "lust" was not uttered.

"Carnival", "Scheherazade", "Petrushka", "Narcissus", "Daphnis and Chloe", "Firebird" ... and after "The Rite of Spring" Russia "became in great fashion." In big. Costumes, knick-knacks "a la russe" and all that. English dancers Patrick Healey-Kay, Alice Marks and Hilda Munnings took Russian pseudonyms - Anton Dolin, Alicia Markova and Lidia Sokolova, under which they performed in the Diaghilev troupe. And even the wife of King George VI of Great Britain got married in a Russian dress. Bakst, Roerich and Benois worked on the sets and costumes for the productions.

“The Russian season, like a gust of fresh wind, swept over the French scene with its outdated conventionality,” Karsavina would later write. - I sometimes ask myself if Diaghilev was proud of himself in his happy hours - after all, he managed to unite a whole constellation of talents - Chaliapin himself, Benois (maitre), Bakst (Ie bateau de la saison russe, ship of the Russian season), whose name everyone had on his lips, his dandy stiffness, punctuality and unfailing good nature contrasted sharply with the furious chaos of our rehearsals. Fokin screamed until he was hoarse, tore his hair and worked miracles. Pavlova flashed a fleeting vision among us and left, performing in a couple of performances; the muse of Parnassus - that's what Jean Louis Vaudoyer called her. The most virtuoso of all modern ballerinas, Geltser, was also among us, she was admired by admirers of academic art. The spirit of the exotic found its highest embodiment in Ida Rubinstein and her unforgettable Cleopatra. Enumeration may seem boring; and yet I must add the name Nijinsky - whole volumes of books cannot say more than this name alone.

“I have never seen such beauty,” Proust wrote to his friend Reinold Hahn. When the Russian ballet brought Giselle to the next tour, it became a real sensation. There has never been anything like it in Paris before: the splendor of scenery exceeding any measure, the brightest, exotic costumes, exciting music, the almost superhuman skill of the artists, and in the center of all this is Nijinsky, who jumped so high that it seemed he would never come back. He electrified the air with his burning, absolutely modern expression, completely eradicating traditional stage manners and learning to squeeze everything out of nothing. Even Fokine (a choreographer in the Diaghilev troupe and a brilliant dancer himself) thought that Nijinsky was overkill in his minimalism: “Yes, you just stand there and do nothing!” he exclaimed somehow. “I play with my eyes,” Nijinsky replied. Andrew O'Hagan, Nijinsky's Diary).

At one time, another great dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky (of whom Nureyev was often called a follower), came to the Mariinsky Theater at the invitation of Matilda Kshesinskaya, who invited him to become her partner. Nuriev received a similar offer from Natalia Dudinskaya.

“Like Isadora Duncan ten years earlier and Martha Graham a quarter of a century later, Nijinsky was forced to discard everything he knew and find his own way of expressing artistic truth. He moved in the same way that Picasso went three years before him, creating his first cubist paintings ”(Fokine).

Paris applauded. A few more performances - and the whole world went crazy for Nijinsky. Moreover, the world lusted for Nijinsky - and also began to behave provocatively. Indecent, there are no words. But the world was not interested then in decency. The world was interested in Nijinsky. And Nijinsky was a Faun. He was interested in himself and what he does on stage.

Do you understand? Passion has no gender. Beauty doesn't have it either. Beauty, as you know, is in the eye of the beholder, and passion is in the soul of the lust. Everyone who looked at Nijinsky saw the embodiment of his own passion. Is it strange, therefore, that the public poured in? The artist danced his dream - that is the main thing that burned his soul. People looked and saw their own souls. We have a hell of a lot in common. When someone manages to show this common, he is declared a genius. A genius creates for himself. Actually, the last genius who was not an egoist was called Jesus Christ.

Nijinsky's partners spoke with bitter resentment about the brilliant egocentrist: they created, lost their heads and died, not feeling any return from him, any interaction. He danced his parts for himself.

Paradox? After all, an artist should not do this, and even more: such egocentrism acts in the most detrimental way. Yes, of course it is."

But before moving on to tragedy, let's linger on tangible things. Here are photographs of Nijinsky 1911-1916.

Nijinsky was looking for simplicity in dance. Contrary to popular belief about the aesthetics of sophistication, the dancer strove for the opposite. Once admiring the figures on ancient Greek vases, he put vase painting at the basis of a new dance. Dance of my own school. Yes, schools, no matter what anyone says.

For example, here is what Nijinsky's first choreographic production, The Afternoon of a Faun, looked like. Its plot is simple: a faun, serenely basking in the spring sun, tries to catch one of the nymphs frolicking near the stream, and, failing to do this, returns with a veil of one of them.

“... we still distinctly, - notes O'Hagan in his article, describing attempts to reconstruct Nijinsky's ballets, - we feel the taste of sexual obscenity.<...>The spectators present at this morning's performances at the Royal Opera continue to divert the attention of the children from the scene when the faun crawls in pursuit of the shadow of his own desire, lewdly curling himself with an antique veil.

"Games"

Now famous all over the world, Diaghilev believed very much in his prime minister, willingly inspired and supported his daring undertakings, but his own enterprise? No impossible. Nijinsky belongs to Diaghilev. It was Diaghilev who suggested the idea of ​​his second production, the ballet "Games". It was Diaghilev who came up with the idea that the dance could be based on a tennis match! At least he insisted on it. The match in Bedford Square was watched together, and indeed, a new ballet was soon premiered, in which two women pull a man who is trying to pick up a fallen tennis ball into a dance on the verge of decency.

Here is what O'Hagan writes about it:

“This was the first time in the history of ballet that the dancers danced in modern costumes.<...>Three actors - frozen examples of English Art Nouveau park sculpture - come to life before the eyes of the audience, but their movements, reminiscent of a game of tennis ("candles" and volleys), are rather unusual. It is worth recalling that Nijinsky, while working on this ballet, kept an open album with reproductions of Gauguin on the floor of his studio.

We say "Gauguin", we mean ...

Yes, it is impossible to deny the defiant eroticism of Nijinsky. More than one scandal was connected with his frank steps, and each time Diaghilev used all his influence to hush him up. But Diaghilev was an impresario. Moreover, he was an excellent impresario. He understood what he was betting on. But Fokin, who finally felt wounded in his creative ambitions, more than once or twice threw tantrums with threats to leave the troupe, and, in the end, insisted on his own. Like everyone else in such cases, he certainly expected to be persuaded, but ... Diaghilev let him go. Moreover, Nijinsky was not present at the farewell banquet. Many years later, Nijinsky would write in his diary that Diaghilev asked him to do so, ostensibly so as not to irritate the offended maestro. Until recent years, Fokin does not know that Nijinsky really wanted to go to this farewell, and Nizhinsky - that Fokin waited until the last minute for him to leave the dressing room.

They became enemies.

On lack of fish

So, Nijinsky turned out to be the founder of a new school, this could not be denied. But even more so, it was impossible not to recognize the fact that yesterday's like-minded people would in this case become competitors, and the triumph of the Russian Ballets is the only one of its kind. The struggle would be fierce, the victory would be disputable, and it was impossible to allow a confrontation between two schools, born, moreover, in the same cradle. An open war was provoked by the marriage of Nijinsky. He was left without a patron.

It cannot be said that the world has turned its back on him. No. Soon after leaving Diaghilev, many proposals followed. The most famous variety shows in the world wanted Nijinsky to lead their troupe. But Nijinsky did not want a variety show. He needed ballet. Your new ballet. He managed to assemble a small troupe (which included Nizhinsky's sister Bronislava with her husband and several other like-minded people who left Diaghilev's troupe), realize several new ideas, and finally remake old ones in his own way. But neither Bakst, nor Roerich, nor Benois agreed to work on Nijinsky's performances: they knew how dangerous it was to quarrel with Diaghilev. So the young choreographer had almost nothing left.

Nijinsky got out as best he could. He was forced to invite an unknown artist. The man's last name was Picasso. Music (and it was very difficult with music: because of the war, both artists and the public boycotted German composers) was also written by a little-known composer. Some Ravel.

But Diaghilev again used all his power, all his influence, this time to destroy Nijinsky. He started lawsuits, disputed copyrights, and while they lasted, performance after performance was removed from the stage. Diaghilev deftly chose the time of the next complaint - an hour before the performance. Thus, he deprived Nijinsky of the opportunity to maneuver, and he remained defenseless. Scandal followed scandal. Artists invited from Russia were forced to return home, and the salaries paid to them left the Nijinsky family without money.

The situation became deplorable. The Nijinskys decided to return to Petersburg.

Same mother-in-law

However, before reaching Russia, the Nijinsky family with their newborn daughter found themselves in the position of prisoners of war. The First World War began, and I had to spend two long years in Budapest, in the house of my wife's parents. Without a troupe, without a theatre, without a stage, teeth clenched: Nijinsky was Russian, he was hated. Well, as for European fame, it only kindled this hatred. Especially from the mother-in-law, Eleanor, who, although she was a famous artist, her fame did not go beyond the borders of her homeland. She controlled the life of the spouses. She interfered in the upbringing of little Kira. And the son-in-law was guilty of everything he did. And everything that I didn't do. It got to the point that Nijinsky was forbidden to take a bath and use hot water. Has it ever occurred to Eleanor that she is turning her daughter's life into a nightmare? This we do not know. But we know that Romola was repeatedly offered to divorce Nijinsky, even insisted - and she refused in a rage.

In 1916, through the efforts of friends, the family was finally released. New York tours followed. Nijinsky then staged the ballet Til Ulenspiegel. Only three weeks were allotted for preparation, the tense situation deprived Nijinsky of peace of mind. At one of the rehearsals, he twisted his leg and was forced to spend six weeks in bed. The contract with the London "Palace" was terminated.

Diaghilev took advantage of this moment. The audience still wanted Nijinsky. He invited Nijinsky.

Now Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse, Richard Strauss, Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky worked on the performances of the Ballets Russes. Nijinsky was accompanied by Rubinstein. If we were to give a complete list here, it would take up half a page. But neither big names, nor success, nor the adoration of the public could hide Diaghilev's hatred. Nijinsky's wife, Romola, in her memoirs notes an endless series of "coincidences" and "accidents", each of which could cost her husband's life. There were many such cases. But the most unfortunate was the friendship of her Wenceslas with two gentlemen who had long called themselves his friends and, unfortunately, aroused a reciprocal disposition.

Mr. Kostrov and another, who is designated "N" in her notes, were Tolstoyans. Whether this was another intrigue of Diaghilev, seeking to bring discord between the spouses, or whether the seeds simply fell on fertile ground, we do not know. But Nijinsky, whom his wife describes in her memoirs as a cheerful person, is changing before our eyes.

This place is worth stopping by. The fact is that they like to write about Nijinsky, that he was a lazy, stupid student, that he only managed to do the main subjects at the Imperial Ballet School, but in his diary we read the opposite. Wenceslas did not have time exactly until the moment when he was almost expelled one day. The students were going to the theatre, Vatslav, who had a reputation for being a hooligan, fired from a slingshot and hit the priest in the eye. Sent home, he saw that the family was begging, witnessed the humiliating scene of borrowing money - and, returning, he suddenly turned into the pride of teachers. Only French and the law of God were not given to him.

Curious is this. In Romola's memoirs, this slingshot would later turn into "toy bows and arrows" that "the boys took with them to the theater." Re-read it again and try to imagine: a dozen and a half boys, accompanied by a teacher to the theater and armed at the same time in this way ... But Romola was a smart woman. It never occurred to her to embellish her own actions in her memoirs. In addition, no editor would find fault with such a touch as a slingshot. So the anecdotal "censorship" appeared in the text, obeying someone else's will? Who is this? Probably the same mother, who only wants the best.

In his diary, Nijinsky recalls, in particular, how, as a boy, he became interested in reading Dostoevsky. Agree, an unusual choice for a lazy and stupid child. And Nijinsky's favorite work was The Idiot. Now, we believe, the change in his behavior will not seem paradoxical to you. Most likely, it was from the image of Prince Myshkin that the words and thoughts about love and God, endlessly repeated in his diary, grew up: “God is love. I want to love everyone. I am God." Moreover, there, in his memoirs, we find the beginning of history.

Here is the young Nijinsky - the only hope of a mother abandoned by her husband, who has a mentally ill eldest son in her arms. The family desperately needs money. Nijinsky yields to wealthy patrons. This is his only way out. And if he writes about Prince Lvov with love, then the connection with Diaghilev was a forced connection, because of money. Very soon, Vaslav, barely out of adolescence, is already striving to break off these relations - but too late. Diaghilev considered him his toy, and if Nijinsky ever felt that he had broken the strings of his puppeteer, it always turned out to be an illusion.

First notebook. "Feeling"

By the age of thirty, Nijinsky considered himself a sinner. He was ruthless to himself. Memories of Parisian cocottes, of Diaghilev, thoughts of his own desires disgust him. He tries to refrain. He refuses meat and wants his family to do the same. He writes with annoyance about Romola, who does not want to obey him.

“Crazy,” says the mother-in-law, and the father-in-law agrees with her. Everyone agrees with her. She belongs to that kind of mother-in-law, arguing with whom is a waste of time.

In the meantime, imagine Vaclav. He strives to keep the ballet form. Sexual excesses have a bad effect on the dance. Finally, mommy's ideas about healthy eating ... easy to imagine, right? But Romola is a former ballerina. But she is in such tension that no matter how selflessly she believed her husband, she no longer has the strength. And if the described manifestations of Tolstoyanism are deeply healthy, then everything else quickly turned into oddities.

However, they are still not very noticeable. So far, the Nijinsky family has just finished touring the Americas and intends to leave the Diaghilev troupe to settle in Switzerland.

Romola is worried about her husband's mental state. He became secretive. Keeps a secret diary. Subject to aggression and often goes for walks alone. One day she learns that her husband wanders the villages with a huge cross on his chest and preaches the search for truth.

Meanwhile, in his secret diary, Vaclav describes thoughts, hallucinations, and fears. He saw blood on the road, and cannot understand what really happened: a murder or is it God testing the strength of his faith? He is worried that his daughters have "spoken." He remembers his mother-in-law. Eleanor and her husband have long decided to take the fate of their daughter into their own hands and that is why they are accompanied. He understands, of course. He endures. He tries to love everyone.

How many souls have been destroyed by this accursed love for all things! The love that cannot be. Love is false, invented, artificial. But Nijinsky would not be Nijinsky if he did not strive for such love. He wanted to love everyone, and to be loved too. He wants to write poetry, play the piano and dance. He wants to forget about the war - and he can't.

Several times Nijinsky rebels. He is even looking for a rented room somewhere in the village. But very soon he realizes that this is a dead end, and returns. He writes his diary in short, chopped sentences. He wants to be clear. Wants to see the truth. He is merciless to himself and people. He writes everything.

Romola has just returned home. Vaclav disappeared again yesterday afternoon, and the doctor had just told her that he had seen him in the city.

What happened? she asks the servant. Why do you have such strange faces?

Madam! - the stoker answers her. “Sorry, maybe I'm wrong. We love you both. Remember, I told you that at home in the countryside, as a child, I carried out Herr Nietzsche's orders? I carried his backpack when he went to work in the Alps. Madam, before falling ill, he looked and acted exactly like Monsieur Nijinsky now. Please forgive me.

What do you want to say?

Last notebook. "Death"

In 1919, when Nijinsky's last performance took place in a Swiss hotel, he was not yet thirty. He still remained a brilliant dancer. Still, his famous jump-flight was just as beautiful. But strange drawings began to appear in his diary: human eyes. Red or black, with an indescribable expression of madness, they were drawn with such pressure that the pencil tore the paper. In addition to the eyes, there were also spiders. They had the face of Diaghilev. Nijinsky tries to write poetry, but they are insane. If at the beginning of the text they, albeit rather primitive, are nevertheless comprehended, then the further, the more often words replace syllables. They don't make sense, but they have rhythm. The words "Feeling", "love", "God" gradually displace any thought and are recorded on their own, in random order. In the midst of this chaos, memories suddenly erupt: clear and distinct. Then darkness again.

At that last performance, Nijinsky sat on a chair in front of the audience for half an hour and looked at her. Then he folded two rolls of cloth in the form of a cross. “Now I will dance a war for you,” he said, “a war that you failed to prevent.”

Soon, Vaclav met with Eric Bleuler, the man who first uttered the word "schizophrenia" aloud. In Nijinsky's diary, the entry about the intention to go to this meeting is the last. Very soon, Vaclav was sent to Kreutzlingen, then to the Bellevue sanatorium. There he spent 30 years, completely withdrawing into himself.

Nijinsky's Diary was published in Paris in 1958.

In preparing the publication used:

V. Nijinsky, "Feeling".

R. Nijinska, "Vaclav Nijinsky".

T. Karsavina, Theater Street

Andrew O "Hagan, "Nijinsky's Diary." (Article in London Review of Books, 2000. Translated by G. Markov.)

Illustrations from the archives of the New York Public Library.

AT atslav Fomich Nijinsky (1890–1950) - a dancer with a great and tragic fate. A native of Kyiv, he came from a hereditary ballet family - his mother and father were professional dancers, Nizhinsky's sister, Bronislava, later also became a ballerina. Even as a child, Vaclav surprised everyone with his innate plasticity and craving for dance. He received his initial choreographic education from his father, and at the age of 10, when the family moved to the capital, he was accepted into the St. Petersburg Ballet School, in the class of Mikhail Obukhov.

Pupils of the School were often occupied in the performances of the Mariinsky Theater - in the roles of devils, tin soldiers, shepherdesses. Once, in the dance of the little fauns, it was necessary to run up and jump. When all the boys landed, it turned out that one was still flying - it was Nijinsky. The choreographer, whose name was Mikhail Fokin, immediately decided to stage a solo part for the phenomenal boy. In 1906, Nijinsky made his brilliant debut at the Mariinsky Theater in R. Drigo's ballet Awakening Flora. This was the first meeting between the young dancer and Fokine.

Nijinsky also attracted the attention of the well-known teacher of the School, Nikolai Legat, who began to study separately with Vaclav. In the sixth year of study, the teacher Obukhov officially declared that he had nothing to teach his student - "he dances better than all his teachers."

In 1907, after graduating from school, Nijinsky was enrolled in the imperial troupe. At the Mariinsky Theater, he immediately took the place of the leading soloist. His partners were such outstanding dancers as Matilda Kshesinskaya, Olga Preobrazhenskaya, Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina.

Fokin created the main roles especially for Nijinsky: The White Slave in the ballet The Pavilion of Armida to the music of N.N. Tcherepnin, Cleopatra's Slave in Egyptian Nights by composer A.S. Arensky and Youth in "Chopiniana" to the music of the Polish composer. The choreographer found a kindred spirit in the artist. He was close to the nature of the natural plasticity of the dancer, understanding the aesthetics of the new dance, his response to innovative ideas.

B. Anisfeld. Costume design for Cleopatra's slave
for the ballet "Egyptian Nights". 1913

With the advent of Nijinsky on the stage, it became clear that an artist had arrived who would transform the ballet world. The possibilities of the young dancer were amazing - exceptional plastic expressiveness, phenomenal technique. For example, his “air” jump, which he could perform from a sitting position and at the same time seemed to hang in the air, became legendary. But even more striking were the lightness and grace of Nizhinsky, his catlike flexibility, polished plastique and unrestrained element of dance. Tamara Karsavina noted that Nijinsky "seems to keep dancing even when the curtain has come down."

Vatslav discovered outstanding acting and mimic talents. He possessed the rare ability of complete external and internal reincarnation. “His face, skin, even height seemed different in each ballet,” wrote one of the memoirists. A.N. Benois described Nijinsky as "half-cat, half-snake, devilishly flexible, effeminate." They said about him: "the eighth wonder of the world", "the greatest dancer in the world."

On the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Nijinsky performed in almost all productions: with M. Petipa and L. Ivanov - in the parts of Albert (Giselle by A. Adam), Siegfried (Sleeping Beauty by P. I. Tchaikovsky), in productions by N. Legat - as Hurricane (The Talisman by R. Drigo)…

V. Nijinsky - Albert. Ballet "Giselle"

In 1909 S.P. Diaghilev invited Nijinsky to participate in the Russian Seasons organized by him. It was the finest hour of the artist. Until 1913, Nijinsky was the leading dancer of the Diaghilev troupe. He performed his most famous roles in productions by M. Fokin, the chief choreographer of the Russian Seasons: Carnival, Vision of the Rose, Scheherazade, Daphnis and Chloe, Petrushka.

Scenes from the ballet "Scheherazade". 1910

Scenes from the ballet Carnival. 1910

Costume designs for the ballet "Carnival":
Florestan, Harlequin, Estrella. 1910

The Diaghilev Seasons brought Nijinsky the fame of "the world's first dancer". The sculptor Auguste Rodin, who saw him, said that Nijinsky was "one of the few who could express in dance all the excitement of the human soul." Marcel Proust wrote to a friend about Nijinsky: "I have never seen such beauty." And the great Sarah Bernard, seeing Nijinsky in the role of Petrushka, exclaimed: "I'm scared, I see the greatest actor in the world!"

Reaching the heights of perfection, Nijinsky's art began to inspire "genuine horror" (words by A.N. Benois). This has been noted by many. Perhaps it was a numbness before beauty. The most surprising thing was that the dancer Nijinsky, this "graceful gazelle" (the words of one of the critics), became the herald and in many ways the ancestor of the modern art of dance. How Nijinsky's work caught the nerve of the generation involved in the carnival of wars of the twentieth century is a mystery that cannot be solved. Eyewitnesses said that Nijinsky literally electrified the air with his energy and expression. He knew how to "squeeze everything out of nothing", play with one eye, leaving the impression of a graceful plastic figure.

L. Bakst. Costume design "Afternoon of a Faun". 1912

In 1912, Nijinsky first tried himself as a choreographer - Diaghilev insisted on this. In two years, he staged "Afternoon of a Faun" and "Games" to the music of C. Debussy, "The Rite of Spring" to the music of I.F. Stravinsky and performed the main parts in them. In these productions, Nijinsky, unexpectedly for everyone, acted as a subverter of academic traditions, as well as many of Fokine's achievements, denied the traditional methods of his performing experience, moved away from their picturesqueness, resurrecting primitivist forms of dance, and literally etched out the staging techniques that had already become familiar.

Scene from the ballet "Apollo Musagete"
staged by J. Balanchine in 1928 and renewed
at the Mariinsky Theater in 1992

Nijinsky's performances caused heated debate. Someone argued that they were devoid of bright artistry, someone saw in them a proclamation of the ballet technique of the future. Perhaps the latter were right. Later masters - George Balanchine, Roland Petit, Martha Graham, Maurice Bejart, John Neumeier - adopted a lot from what was discovered and anticipated by Nijinsky the dancer and Nijinsky the director.

M. Bejart and E. Maksimova.
Rehearsal of the ballet Romeo and Juliet. G. Berlioz. 1978

Now his productions have been reconstructed, imbued with eroticism and dynamism, they feel “the onslaught of the pagan elements,” as one of the critics wrote. This is primarily due to the ballet "Afternoon of a Faun". In "Games", where the plot is based on a game of tennis, Nijinsky made the sculptures come to life and play with real people. Many static scenes appeared in ballets, which at that time was news, if not "wildness", but this static "played". Nijinsky dressed the characters in modern costumes - this was the first such experience in ballet. Nijinsky's performances still make a shocking impression, but at the same time life-affirming, and - sad ...

Despite his brilliant successes and quickly gained fame, Nijinsky always remained a modest, albeit difficult to communicate person. He was very kind and very sensitive, withdrawn, silent and even timid, besides, apparently, he experienced a feeling of dissatisfaction with himself. Having already gained fame, he attended a ballet school opened in St. Petersburg by the famous Italian choreographer and teacher Enrique Cecchetti, read a lot about ballet. He generally read a lot; watched the work of choreographers in the theater, apparently thinking about his own productions.

Nijinsky did not show any qualities of a "star". On the contrary, his extreme sensitivity, modesty, nervousness gave him many difficult moments. He suffered from an increased nostalgic complex; from his youth, Russia, St. Petersburg, the Mariinsky Theater were sacred and dear to him. Shining on the best stages of Europe in the Russian Seasons, he did not leave his native imperial troupe and, receiving, for example, 4,000 rubles a month from Diaghilev, after playing a season in Paris or London, he hurried to the Mariinsky Theater, where he was paid only 80 rubles.

In 1911, Nijinsky had a conflict with the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters - in the role of Albert in Giselle, the artist did not want to go out in an old, boring suit with "frilled pants", but preferred to go out in a new one, created according to the sketch of A.N. Benoit. For "arbitrariness" Nijinsky was fired from the theater, and Vaslav was crying, sitting on the steps of the foyer ...

Over time, Diaghilev's patronage and authority began to oppress him, and one day he decided to break with the entrepreneur. By the way, they got married in 1913. But the artist was out of work. For some time he performed in music halls. He could not return to St. Petersburg as "a person evading military service."

With difficulty, the great artist managed, by agreement with the London Palace Theater, to organize his own troupe in 1914. But the troupe did not last long, and Nijinsky nevertheless decided to return to Russia, without which he was terribly bored. He and his wife at that moment ended up in Austria-Hungary. Vaclav went for train tickets, it was August 1, 1914 - the day the First World War began.

Russia turned out to be a hostile power, and Nijinsky was arrested and sent to a POW camp. Friends secured his release and permission to leave - but, alas, not to Russia, but to America. Not only that, the artist had to make a promise that he would give up trying to move from America to his homeland. Nijinsky arrived in the USA in a very difficult state of mind. According to his wife, he only "raved about Russia and the war."

He was lonely, and he lacked the "firm hand" of a mentor, a leader - Diaghilev was not enough. Nijinsky endlessly draws his profile in his notebooks...

Diaghilev at that time came to the United States on tour, going on a tour of North and South America, and for this tour Nijinsky staged the ballet Til Ulenspiegel in 1916 to music by Richard Strauss. The performance was given on the stage of the New York Manhattan Opera and failed. This finally broke the artist. "Ulenspiegel" was the last work of Nijinsky the choreographer.

Meanwhile, Nijinsky's signs of severe mental illness are becoming more and more pronounced. He falls into prolonged bouts of black melancholy. In 1919 he performed for the last time as a dancer. In 1918–1919 he writes the Diary, stunning with its piercing sincerity and painful escapades. In the "Diary" he called himself "the clown of God" ...

He no longer performs conscious actions, ceases to react to the environment and falls into silent contemplation. Attempts to get him out of this state with the help of doctors for many years did not give results. From America, his wife transported Nijinsky to Paris, then with their two daughters they settled in Hungary, in the town of Odenburg. In 1944, Soviet troops came here to liberate Hungary, and Nijinsky happily hastened to meet with his compatriots. He wept with happiness, felt the tunics of the fighters - and for the first time after many years of silence he spoke ...

This correspondence meeting with Russia partially brought Nijinsky back to life, his consciousness began to "come to life". When the Soviet ballet dancers came on tour to Hungary after the war, Nijinsky expressed a desire to attend the concert, although he had not appeared in public places for many years. After the concert, he asked through his wife to tell the Russian artists that he was amazed at how much Russian ballet had developed and grown compared to how he knew it before.

Nijinsky again embraced the idea of ​​returning to his homeland. He insisted that friends and family take care of it. To arrange and complete the affairs and formalities, it was necessary to go to London, and Nijinsky makes a trip there with his wife. But, perhaps, the body of the artist, exhausted by the illness, could not stand the move, perhaps the emotional shock was too strong, but upon arrival in London, Nijinsky dies. So, a few years before him, Sergei Rachmaninov died, who had already booked a ticket on a steamer to leave for Russia, but the body, as a result of emotional shock before meeting with his homeland, could not cope with the unexpectedly approaching illness.

Nijinsky was a legend during his lifetime, but he became even more of a legend after his death. The mystery of his personality attracts artists, playwrights, novelists, film directors, choreographers. Interest in his personality especially intensified after the publication in Paris in 1953 of Nijinsky's Diary. In 1971, Maurice Béjart staged the world-famous ballet Nijinsky, the Clown of God; in 2000, John Neumeier created his own version, which he called Nijinsky. Documentary and feature films were released about the famous dancer. At the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya in Moscow, a performance based on the play by Glenn Blumstein "Nijinsky" was a success - this play bypassed many theaters of the world. But even more interesting is the mystery of his creative nature, the mystery of his creativity...

Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky Polish Waclaw Nizynski(March 12, Kyiv, Russian Empire – or April 11, London, UK) is a Polish-born Russian dancer and choreographer born in Kyiv. One of the leading members of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. Brother of dancer Bronislava Nijinska. Choreographer of the ballets The Rite of Spring, The Afternoon of a Faun, The Games and Till Ulenspiegel.

Biography

Vaslav Nijinsky Le spectre de la rose

Almost immediately after graduating from the school, Nijinsky was invited by S. P. Diaghilev to participate in the ballet season, where he gained great success. For his ability for high jumps and long-term elevation, he was called the bird-man, the second Vestris.

Nijinsky became the discovery of Diaghilev, the first dancer, and then the choreographer of the troupe (1909-1913, 1916).

In Paris, they danced a repertoire tested on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater (Pavilion of Armida, 1907; Chopiniana or Sylphides, 1907; Egyptian Nights or Cleopatra 1909; Giselle, 1910; Swan Lake, 1911), as well as the divertissement Pir to the music of Russian composers, 1909; and parts in Fokine's new ballets Schumann's Carnival, 1910; Scheherazade by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, 1910; Orientals A. Glazunov, 1910; The Vision of a Rose by K. M. Weber, 1911, in which he amazed the Parisian public with a fantastic jump through the window; Petrushka by I. F. Stravinsky, 1911; Blue God R. Ghana, 1912; Daphnis and Chloe (ballet) by M. Ravel, 1912.

Afternoon of a Faun

Encouraged by Diaghilev, Nijinsky tried his hand as a choreographer and, secretly from Fokine, rehearsed his first ballet - Afternoon of a Faun to the music of C. Debussy (1912). He built his choreography on profile poses borrowed from ancient Greek vase painting. Like Diaghilev, Nijinsky was fascinated by Dalcroze's rhythmoplasty and eurythmics, in the aesthetics of which he staged his next and most significant ballet, The Rite of Spring, in 1913. The Rite of Spring, written by Stravinsky in the atonal system and choreographically built on complex combinations of rhythms, became one of the first expressionist ballets. The ballet was not immediately accepted, and its premiere ended in scandal, as did the Afternoon of a Faun, which shocked the audience with the final erotic scene. In the same year, he performed the plotless ballet Games of Debussy. These productions of Nijinsky were characterized by anti-romanticism and opposition to the usual elegance of the classical style.

The Parisian public was fascinated by the undoubted dramatic talent of the artist, his exotic appearance. Nijinsky turned out to be a bold and original-minded choreographer who opened up new paths in plastique and restored male dance to its former priority and virtuosity. Nijinsky owed his success to Diaghilev, who believed and supported him in his daring experiments.

Marriage

The rupture of close relations with Diaghilev due to Nijinsky's marriage to the non-professional dancer Romola Pulskaya led to Nijinsky's departure from the troupe and, in fact, to the end of his short dizzying career.

Entreprise

After leaving Diaghilev, Nijinsky found himself in difficult conditions. It was necessary to earn a livelihood. A dance genius, he did not have the ability of a producer. The proposal to lead the ballet "Grand Opera" in Paris rejected, deciding to create his own entreprise. It was possible to assemble a troupe of 17 people (it included Bronislava's sister and her husband, who also left Diaghilev) and conclude a contract with the London Palace Theater. The repertoire consisted of productions by Nijinsky and, in part, by Fokine (The Phantom of the Rose, Carnival, Sylphs, which Nijinsky remade anew). However, the tour was not successful and ended in financial failure, which led to a nervous breakdown and the beginning of the artist's mental illness. Failure followed him.

Latest Premiere

The First World War of 1914 found the couple, returning to St. Petersburg, with their newborn daughter in Budapest, where they were interned until the beginning of 1916. Nijinsky painfully experienced both his arrest and forced creative inaction. Meanwhile, Diaghilev renewed the artist's contract for the Ballets Russes tour of the Americas. On April 12, 1916, he danced his signature roles in Petrushka and Vision of the Rose on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera. In the same year, on October 23, the premiere of Nijinsky's last ballet, Til Ulenspiegel by R. Strauss, was shown at the New York theater "Manhattan Opera", in which he performed the main part. The performance, created in a feverish hurry, despite a number of interesting discoveries, failed.

Disease

The unrest experienced severely traumatized the weak psyche of Nijinsky. A fatal role in his fate was played by his passion for Tolstoyism, popular in emigre circles of the Russian artistic intelligentsia. Members of the Diaghilev troupe, Tolstoy Nemchinov, Kostrovsky and Zverev, inspired Nijinsky with the sinfulness of the acting profession, which aggravated his illness.

In 1917, Nijinsky finally left the stage and settled in Switzerland with his family. Here it became easier for him, he thought about a new system of recording dance, dreamed of his own school, in 1918 he wrote the book Nijinsky's Diary (published in Paris in 1953).

However, he was soon placed in a mental hospital, where he spent the rest of his life. He died April 11, 1950 in London.

Reburial of ashes

In 1953, his body was transported to Paris and buried in the Montmartre cemetery next to the graves of the legendary dancer G. Vestris and playwright T. Gauthier, one of the creators of the romantic ballet. On his tombstone of gray stone sits a sad bronze jester.

The meaning of Nijinsky's personality

• Nijinsky made a bold breakthrough into the future of ballet art, discovered the later established style of expressionism and fundamentally new possibilities of plasticity. His creative life was short (only ten years), but intense. The famous ballet by Maurice Béjart "Nijinsky, the Clown of God" to the music of Pierre Henry and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is dedicated to the personality of Nijinsky, 1971.

• The best ballets featuring Vaslav Nijinsky are The Rite of Spring and The Afternoon of a Faun.

Memory

• In 1984, Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury played the role of a faun from the ballet The Afternoon of a Faun, in which Nijinsky became famous, in the music video for the song I Want to Break Free by Queen.
• In 1990, directed by Philippe Valois, the film "Nijinsky, Puppet of God" was made about the life of a dancer
• In 1999, in the theater on Malaya Bronnaya "Nijinsky, God's crazy clown" (Nijinsky - A. Domogarov)
• Nijinsky and his entourage are dedicated to the musical album "Nijinsky", recorded by the Laida group in 2000 (the second version in 2002).
• In 2008, at the State Academic Central Puppet Theater named after S. V. Obraztsov, the premiere of the play "Nijinsky, God's Crazy Clown" based on the play by G. Blamstein took place (stage director, performer of the role of Nijinsky - Honored Artist of Russia Andrei Dennikov).
• In 2011, on the occasion of the centenary of the celebration of the Ballets Russes Company of Diaghilev Vaclav and Bronislav Nijinsky, legendary Polish dancers, Gennady Ershov sculpted the role of the faun and nymph from the ballet Afternoon of a Faun, a bronze sculpture was installed in the foyer of the Warsaw Bolshoi Theater.
• A performance by NN of the Lublin Dance Theater is dedicated to Vaslav Nijinsky (choreographer Richard Kalinowski) (

Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky Polish Waclaw Nizynski(March 12, Kyiv, Russian Empire – or April 11, London, UK) is a Polish-born Russian dancer and choreographer born in Kyiv. One of the leading members of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. Brother of dancer Bronislava Nijinska. Choreographer of the ballets The Rite of Spring, The Afternoon of a Faun, The Games and Till Ulenspiegel.

Biography

Vaslav Nijinsky Le spectre de la rose

Almost immediately after graduating from the school, Nijinsky was invited by S. P. Diaghilev to participate in the ballet season, where he gained great success. For his ability for high jumps and long-term elevation, he was called the bird-man, the second Vestris.

Nijinsky became the discovery of Diaghilev, the first dancer, and then the choreographer of the troupe (1909-1913, 1916).

In Paris, they danced a repertoire tested on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater (Pavilion of Armida, 1907; Chopiniana or Sylphides, 1907; Egyptian Nights or Cleopatra 1909; Giselle, 1910; Swan Lake, 1911), as well as the divertissement Pir to the music of Russian composers, 1909; and parts in Fokine's new ballets Schumann's Carnival, 1910; Scheherazade by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, 1910; Orientals A. Glazunov, 1910; The Vision of a Rose by K. M. Weber, 1911, in which he amazed the Parisian public with a fantastic jump through the window; Petrushka by I. F. Stravinsky, 1911; Blue God R. Ghana, 1912; Daphnis and Chloe (ballet) by M. Ravel, 1912.

Afternoon of a Faun

Encouraged by Diaghilev, Nijinsky tried his hand as a choreographer and, secretly from Fokine, rehearsed his first ballet - Afternoon of a Faun to the music of C. Debussy (1912). He built his choreography on profile poses borrowed from ancient Greek vase painting. Like Diaghilev, Nijinsky was fascinated by Dalcroze's rhythmoplasty and eurythmics, in the aesthetics of which he staged his next and most significant ballet, The Rite of Spring, in 1913. The Rite of Spring, written by Stravinsky in the atonal system and choreographically built on complex combinations of rhythms, became one of the first expressionist ballets. The ballet was not immediately accepted, and its premiere ended in scandal, as did the Afternoon of a Faun, which shocked the audience with the final erotic scene. In the same year, he performed the plotless ballet Games of Debussy. These productions of Nijinsky were characterized by anti-romanticism and opposition to the usual elegance of the classical style.

The Parisian public was fascinated by the undoubted dramatic talent of the artist, his exotic appearance. Nijinsky turned out to be a bold and original-minded choreographer who opened up new paths in plastique and restored male dance to its former priority and virtuosity. Nijinsky owed his success to Diaghilev, who believed and supported him in his daring experiments.

Marriage

The rupture of close relations with Diaghilev due to Nijinsky's marriage to the non-professional dancer Romola Pulskaya led to Nijinsky's departure from the troupe and, in fact, to the end of his short dizzying career.

Entreprise

After leaving Diaghilev, Nijinsky found himself in difficult conditions. It was necessary to earn a livelihood. A dance genius, he did not have the ability of a producer. The proposal to lead the ballet "Grand Opera" in Paris rejected, deciding to create his own entreprise. It was possible to assemble a troupe of 17 people (it included Bronislava's sister and her husband, who also left Diaghilev) and conclude a contract with the London Palace Theater. The repertoire consisted of productions by Nijinsky and, in part, by Fokine (The Phantom of the Rose, Carnival, Sylphs, which Nijinsky remade anew). However, the tour was not successful and ended in financial failure, which led to a nervous breakdown and the beginning of the artist's mental illness. Failure followed him.

Latest Premiere

The First World War of 1914 found the couple, returning to St. Petersburg, with their newborn daughter in Budapest, where they were interned until the beginning of 1916. Nijinsky painfully experienced both his arrest and forced creative inaction. Meanwhile, Diaghilev renewed the artist's contract for the Ballets Russes tour of the Americas. On April 12, 1916, he danced his signature roles in Petrushka and Vision of the Rose on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera. In the same year, on October 23, the premiere of Nijinsky's last ballet, Til Ulenspiegel by R. Strauss, was shown at the New York theater "Manhattan Opera", in which he performed the main part. The performance, created in a feverish hurry, despite a number of interesting discoveries, failed.

Disease

The unrest experienced severely traumatized the weak psyche of Nijinsky. A fatal role in his fate was played by his passion for Tolstoyism, popular in emigre circles of the Russian artistic intelligentsia. Members of the Diaghilev troupe, Tolstoy Nemchinov, Kostrovsky and Zverev, inspired Nijinsky with the sinfulness of the acting profession, which aggravated his illness.

In 1917, Nijinsky finally left the stage and settled in Switzerland with his family. Here it became easier for him, he thought about a new system of recording dance, dreamed of his own school, in 1918 he wrote the book Nijinsky's Diary (published in Paris in 1953).

However, he was soon placed in a mental hospital, where he spent the rest of his life. He died April 11, 1950 in London.

Reburial of ashes

In 1953, his body was transported to Paris and buried in the Montmartre cemetery next to the graves of the legendary dancer G. Vestris and playwright T. Gauthier, one of the creators of the romantic ballet. On his tombstone of gray stone sits a sad bronze jester.

The meaning of Nijinsky's personality

• Nijinsky made a bold breakthrough into the future of ballet art, discovered the later established style of expressionism and fundamentally new possibilities of plasticity. His creative life was short (only ten years), but intense. The famous ballet by Maurice Béjart "Nijinsky, the Clown of God" to the music of Pierre Henry and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is dedicated to the personality of Nijinsky, 1971.

• The best ballets featuring Vaslav Nijinsky are The Rite of Spring and The Afternoon of a Faun.

Memory

• In 1984, Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury played the role of a faun from the ballet The Afternoon of a Faun, in which Nijinsky became famous, in the music video for the song I Want to Break Free by Queen.
• In 1990, directed by Philippe Valois, the film "Nijinsky, Puppet of God" was made about the life of a dancer
• In 1999, in the theater on Malaya Bronnaya "Nijinsky, God's crazy clown" (Nijinsky - A. Domogarov)
• Nijinsky and his entourage are dedicated to the musical album "Nijinsky", recorded by the Laida group in 2000 (the second version in 2002).
• In 2008, at the State Academic Central Puppet Theater named after S. V. Obraztsov, the premiere of the play "Nijinsky, God's Crazy Clown" based on the play by G. Blamstein took place (stage director, performer of the role of Nijinsky - Honored Artist of Russia Andrei Dennikov).
• In 2011, on the occasion of the centenary of the celebration of the Ballets Russes Company of Diaghilev Vaclav and Bronislav Nijinsky, legendary Polish dancers, Gennady Ershov sculpted the role of the faun and nymph from the ballet Afternoon of a Faun, a bronze sculpture was installed in the foyer of the Warsaw Bolshoi Theater.
• A performance by NN of the Lublin Dance Theater is dedicated to Vaslav Nijinsky (choreographer Richard Kalinowski) (