Nijinsky and Pavlova's Almost Swan Lake

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Photo Credit: 18 year old Vaslav Nijinsky in Raymonda in 1907.
This was the first photographic portrait of Vaslav as an Artist of the Imperial Theaters from Nijinsky's sister's book Bronislava Nijinska Early Memoirs


Vaslav Nijinsky took classes with Anna Pavlova and her teacher Cecchetti. Nijinsky felt he was learning more from Pavlova’s teacher than his own, who was named Nikolai Legat. Legat held resentment toward Nijinsky because of Nijinsky's talent.


Nijinsky and Pavlova were practicing together for Swan Lake with Nijinsky  playing the role of Prince Siegfried and Pavlova playing the role of the white swan, Odette. On Christmas night 1907,  Nijinsky became ill and was unable to attend the Swan Lake performance with Anna Pavlova. Nijinsky tried to will himself to make the performance and appear on stage.

  "I must dance tonight; Anna Pavlova is counting on me; we are dancing a pas de deux from Swan Lake. I don't care if I am ill. I will dance tonight!" - Vaslav Nijinsky 1907

His mother, a friend and his doctor wouldn't allow him to perform because it would have been much too dangerous given his fever. The doctor ordered him to stay in bed, so Nijinsky missed the performance.

The next morning Nijinsky sent his sister Bronislava to get all the newspapers to read the reviews of the performances at the Maryinsky. 

Nijinsky read how it was announced that because of Pavlova's dance partner Nijinsky’s illness, she would instead dance  "The Swan" by Saint-Saens, a solo piece. In the papers, the highlight of the night was "The Swan." Nijinsky was happy and relieved. Although he was unable to perform, due to illness, Fokine was still able to introduce his ballet piece, "The Swan."

"Fokine had mounted it for Anna Pavlova two years before, also for a charity performance, but because it had been danced in a private hall and not at the Maryinsky it had not received any publicity." - Vaslav Nijinsky 1907

In the papers they found out because of Nijinsky's illness both Fokine and Pavlova decided on the spur of the moment that Anna Pavlova should dance Fokine's "The Swan." The violinist Kolya, an old friend of Nijinsky, who was performing the piece for Swan Lake also knew Saint-Saens "The Swan," from "Carnival des Animaux." So it was not an impossible change.

"Though Vaslav was happy  that Anna Pavlova had danced "The Swan" that night he was disappointed that he had not been able to dance the pas de deux from Swan Lake with her. The opportunity was never to arise again for Nijinsky to dance in Swan Lake with Pavlova." - Bronislava Nijinska 1907

It's interesting to think on how things would have been different had Nijinsky not been ill that night and danced with Pavlova.


Photo Credit: Anna Pavlova in "The Swan."  from Nijinsky's sister's book Bronislava Nijinska Early Memoirs








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