Vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet

His mental health continued to decline, and he spent the remainder of his life in and out of psychiatric care, isolated from the world he once captivated. His diaries are characterized by disordered syntax and fragmented thoughts, reflecting the chaos of his mental state. The diaries expose the isolating nature of his condition and offer a poignant glimpse into his troubled mind.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia inNijinsky faced numerous hospitalizations and underwent various treatments, including insulin coma therapy and electroconvulsive therapy. Despite these efforts, his condition continued to deteriorate, leading to a life spent largely in and out of institutions. He was eventually transferred to the Steinhof Hospital in Vienna, where he received treatment from psychiatrist Wagner-Jauregg.

Inat the young age of 61, Vaslav Nijinsky died of complications from kidney disease. His death marked the end of an era in ballet, and he was remembered as one of the greatest dancers of all time. His remains were later moved to Montmartre Cemetery in Paris, a fitting resting place for a ballet legend. His influence can still be seen in the work of renowned companies like the American Ballet Theatre and the Imperial Ballet.

They have become an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers, offering a rare glimpse into the mind of an artistic genius grappling with mental illness. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities and challenges of mental health and the importance of supporting those who face such struggles. His story inspires and fascinates audiences worldwide, and his influence on ballet remains unparalleled.

Vaslav Nijinsky was born in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 12, some sources sayothers The Nijinsky children accompanied their Polishborn, academy-trained mother and father, Eleonora and Thomas, on the tours that featured their parents' character dances in Russian opera houses, concert halls, summer theaters, and circuses. Vaslav's sister, Bronislava, younger by three years, had kept notes almost from the time she could write.

She worked closely with Vaslav during the years he was the dazzling star of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and she a member of the company she was later to choreograph numerous distinguished ballets, among them Les Noces and Les Biches A brother, Stanislas, two In Thomas and Eleanora separated after Thomas had fallen in love with another dancer, Rumiantseva, while touring in Finland.

Eleanora moved to 20 Mokhovaya Street in St Petersburg with her children. She persuaded a friend from the Wielki Theatre, Victor Stanislas Gillert, who was at the time teaching at the Imperial Ballet Schoolto help get Vaslav into the school. He arranged for the noted teacher Enrico Cecchetti to sponsor the application. Bronia entered the school two years after Vaslav.

Their elder brother Stanislav had had a fall from a window when young and seemed to have suffered some brain damage. Vaslav and Bronia, just two years apart, became very close as they grew. As he got older, Stanislav became increasingly mentally unstable and would have fierce tantrums. He was admitted to an asylum for the insane in He studied mime under Pavel Gerdt ; all three men were principal dancers at the Imperial Russian Ballet.

At the end of the one year probationary period, his teachers agreed upon Nijinsky's exceptional dancing ability and he was confirmed as a boarder at the school. He appeared in supporting parts in classical ballets such as Faustas a mouse in The Nutcrackera page in Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lakeand won the Didelot scholarship. During his first year, his academic studies had covered work he had already done, so his relatively poor results had not been so much noted.

He did well in subjects which interested him, but not otherwise. In he was warned that only the excellence of his dancing had prevented his expulsion from the school for poor results. This laxity was compounded through his school years by Nijinsky's frequently being chosen as an extra in various productions, forcing him to be away from classrooms for rehearsals and to spend nights at performances.

He was teased for being Polish, and nicknamed "Japonczek" for his faintly Japanese looks at a time Russia was at war with Japan. Some classmates were envious and resented his outstanding dancing ability. In one of the class deliberately caused him to fall, leading to his concussion and being in a coma for four days. Mikhail Oboukhov [ru] became his teacher inand awarded him the highest grade he had ever given to a student.

In music he studied piano, flute, balalaika and accordion, receiving good marks. He had a good ability to hear and play music on the piano, though his sight reading was relatively poor. Against this, his behaviour was sometimes boisterous and wild, resulting in his expulsion from the school in for an incident involving students shooting at the hats of passers-by with catapults while being driven to the Mariinsky Theatre in carriages.

He was readmitted to the school as a non-resident after a sound beating and restored to his previous position after a month's vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet. Inat the age of 14, Nijinsky was selected by the great choreographer Marius Petipa to dance a principal role in what proved to be the choreographer's last ballet, La Romance d'un Bouton de rose et d'un Papillon.

The work was never performed due to the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. Petersburg, where a group of petitioners led by Father Gapon attempted to present their petition to the Czar. Soldiers fired upon the crowd, leading to an estimated casualties. Nijinsky was caught in the crowd on Nevsky Prospect and propelled toward the Winter Palace.

Imperial cavalry troops charged the crowd, leaving him with a head wound. The following day, he returned to the scene with a friend whose sister was missing. She was never found. Nijinsky became calmer and more serious as he grew older, but continued to make few friends, which continued through his life. His reserve and apparent dullness made him unappealing to others except when he danced.

Oboukhov amended the dance to show off Nijinsky's abilities, vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet gasps and then spontaneous applause in the middle of the performance with his first jump. Inhe danced in the Mariinsky production of Mozart's Don Giovanniin a ballet sequence choreographed by Michel Fokine. He was congratulated by the director of the Imperial Ballet and offered a place in the company although he was a year from graduation.

Nijinsky chose to continue his studies. He tried his hand at choreography, with a children's opera, Cinderellawith music by another student, Boris Asafyev. At his graduation performance in Aprilhe partnered Elizaveta Gerdtin a pas de deux choreographed by Fokine. He was congratulated by prima ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska of the Imperial Ballet, who invited him to partner her.

He graduated second in his class, with top marks in dancing, art and music.

Vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet: Record ID: (Libraries Australia Authorities);

Nijinsky spent his summer after graduation rehearsing and then performing at Krasnoe Selo in a makeshift theatre with an audience mainly of army officers. These performances frequently included members of the Imperial family and other nobility, whose support and interest were essential to a career. Each dancer who performed before the Tsar received a gold watch inscribed with the Imperial Eagle.

Buoyed by Nijinsky's salary, his new earnings from giving dance classes, and his sister Bronia's employment with the ballet company, the family moved to a larger flat on Torgovaya Ulitsa. He appeared with Sedova, Lydia Kyasht and Karsavina. Nijinsky had a minor role, but it allowed him to show off his technical abilities with leaps and pirouettes.

The partnership of Fokine, Benois and Nijinsky was repeated throughout his career. Shortly after, he upstaged his own performance, appearing in the Bluebird pas de deux from the Sleeping Beautypartnering Lydia Kyasht. The Mariinsky audience was deeply familiar with the piece, but exploded with enthusiasm for his performance and his appearing to fly, an effect he continued to have on audiences with the piece during his career.

In subsequent years, Nijinsky was given several soloist roles at the Mariinsky. Nijinsky created a sensation in the role of the Wind God Vayou. A turning point for Nijinsky was his meeting the Russian Sergei Diaghileva celebrated and highly innovative producer of ballet and opera, as well as art exhibitions. He concentrated on promoting Russian visual and musical art abroad, particularly in Paris.

The season of colorful Russian ballets and operas, works mostly new to the West, was a great success, leading him to plan a new tour for with a new name for his company, the now famous Ballets Russes. Nijinsky and Diaghilev became lovers for a time, and Diaghilev was deeply involved in directing and managing Nijinsky's career. As a friend and as a leading dancer, Nijinsky was part of the group.

His sister wrote that he felt intimidated by the illustrious and aristocratic company. Fokine was asked to start rehearsals for the existing Le Pavillon d'Armide and for Les Sylphidesan expanded version of his Chopiniana. Fokine favoured expanding the existing Une Nuit d'Egypte for a ballet. To round out the program, they needed another ballet.

Without sufficient time to compose a new work, they decided on a suite of popular dances, to be called Le Festin. Anna PavlovaKarsavina and Nijinsky were chosen as principal dancers. Fokine insisted that Ida Rubenstein would appear as Cleopatra, and Nijinsky insisted that his sister should have a part. Fokine noted Nijinsky's great ability at learning a dance and precisely what a choreographer wanted.

Diaghilev departed for Paris in early to make arrangements, which were immediately complicated on the day of his return, 22 Februaryby the death of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovitch, who had sponsored an application by Diaghilev for an imperial subsidy ofroubles for the tour. Rehearsals started on 2 April at the Hermitage Theatre, which the company had been granted special permission to use, along with loans of scenery.

The war made problems for the Ballets Russes too; the company had difficulty recruiting dancers and Fokine returned to Russia. Diaghilev started negotiations in October for Nijinsky to work again for the company, but could not obtain release of the dancer until The complex negotiations included a prisoner exchange with the United States, and agreement that Nijinsky would dance and choreograph for the Ballets Russes' tour.

Nijinsky arrived in New York on 4 April The tour had already started in January with a number of problems: Faun was considered too sexually explicit and had to be amended; Scheherazadeincluding an interracial orgy, did not appeal to Americans; and ballet aficionados were calling for Nijinsky. Romola took over negotiations, demanding that Diaghilev pay Nijinsky for the years he had been unpaid by the Ballets Russes before he would dance in New York.

Kahn did not get on with Diaghilev and insisted Nijinsky should manage the tour. Nijinsky was also to prepare two new ballets. Rehearsals for Till Eulenspiegel did not go well; Nijinsky's poor communication skills meant that he could not explain to dancers what he wanted. He would explode into rages. Pierre Monteuxthe conductor, refused to take part in performances because he did not want to be associated with failure.

Nijinsky twisted his ankle, postponing the season's opening for a vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet and his own appearance by two weeks. Rehearsals for Eulenspiegel had not been completed, and it had to be improvised during its first performance. It was still well received, and Nijinsky's performance in Faun was considered better than Massine's.

His last professional public performance was during a South American tour, with pianist Arthur Rubinstein in a benefit in Montevideo for the Red Cross on 30 Septemberat age twenty-eight. Rubinstein wept when he saw Nijinsky's confusion that night. It was around this time that signs of his schizophrenia had become apparent to members of the company, including Bourman.

MoritzSwitzerlandwhere he tried to recover from the stresses of the tour. Accounts vary as to the cause of death. He had been institutionalized for many years. The crowd consisted of skiers, hotel guests, wealthy visitors from abroad, war refugees, and assorted social climbers. Bertha Asseo, a family friend, played the piano. Vaslav stood still for a good while before he finally started moving.

His dance reflected a wide range of feelings, from sadness and anger to joyfulness. His strong feelings towards the devastation of the war, and people who did nothing to stop it, were also reflected in his dance. Nijinsky's diary, which he wrote from January to early Marchexpressed his great fear of hospitalization and confinement.

Vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet: The film tells the story

He filled it with drawings of eyes, as he felt himself under scrutiny, by his wife, a young doctor Frenkel, and others. Finally, Romola arranged a consultation in Zurich with the psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler inasking her mother and stepfather for help in getting Nijinsky there. After a few days, he was transferred to the Bellevue Sanatorium, "a luxurious and humane establishment directed at that time by Ludwig Binswanger.

She never saw him dance in public. For the next 30 years, Nijinsky was in and out of psychiatric hospitals and asylums. Duringafter the end of the war, after Romola had moved with him to Vienna, he encountered a group of Russian soldiers in an encampment, playing traditional folk tunes on a balalaika and other instruments. Inspired by the music and hearing a language from his youth, he started dancing, astounding the men with his skills.

Drinking and laughing with them helped him start to speak again. He had maintained long periods of almost absolute silence during his years of illness.

Vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet: 1) Vaslav Nijinsky was considered

His wife Romola had protected them by staying for a time at the border of Hungary and Austria, trying to keep out of major areas of fighting. He died from kidney failure at a clinic in London on 8 April and was buried in London. Nijinsky's daughter Kyra married the Ukrainian conductor Igor Markevitchand they had a son named Vaslav. The marriage ended in divorce.

His second daughter Tamara Nijinsky grew up with her maternal grandmother, never getting to see her father dance. Nijinsky's Diary was written during the six weeks in he spent in Switzerland before being committed to the asylum to Zurich. It reflected the decline of his household into chaos. It combined elements of autobiography with appeals for compassion toward the less fortunate.

Discovering the three notebooks of the diary years later, plus another with letters to a variety of people, his wife published a bowdlerized version of the diary intranslated into English by Jennifer Mattingly. She also removed some of his more unflattering references to her and others close to their household. She moved sections around, obscuring the "march of events" obvious in the original version and toning down some of the odder portions, including trying to distinguish between sections in which he writes as God and others as himself.

In the original all such sections are written the same. And how fortunate we are to have them both restored. Nijinsky is immortalized in numerous still photographs, many of them by E. No film exists of Nijinsky dancing; Diaghilev never allowed the Ballets Russes to be filmed because he felt that the quality of film at the time could never capture the artistry of his dancers.

He believed that the reputation of the company would suffer if people saw their performance only in the short, jerky films of the period. Commissioned by the Polish National Ballet, the sculpture was made in bronze by the well-known Ukrainian sculptor Giennadij Jerszow. Nijinsky was also portrayed by Auguste Rodin. It was cast posthumously in Contents move to sidebar hide.

Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. For other uses, see Nijinsky disambiguation. Petersburg, Romola de Pulszky. Biography [ edit ]. Imperial Ballet School [ edit ]. Early career [ edit ]. Ballets Russes [ edit ].

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Vaslav nijinsky biography summary worksheet: Vaslav Nijinsky was born in

Ballets choreographed by Nijinsky [ edit ]. Marriage [ edit ]. Dismissal from Ballets Russes [ edit ]. Later life [ edit ]. Legacy [ edit ]. Cultural depictions [ edit ]. In ballet [ edit ]. In plays [ edit ]. In film [ edit ].