Pranks That Almost Cost Nijinsky Everything

Photo Credit: Vaslav Nijinsky in Raymonda in 1907, from Bronislava Nijinska Early Memoirs

When Vaslav Nijinsky was a student, it was a well-known fact he had a hard time paying attention for regular classes. He would often get into trouble for bad conduct not because he was a bad kid but because he was misunderstood. He had so much energy he needed an outlet to get it out, and dancing provided that outlet. Although his mother understood this about her son, and so did his sister Bronislava Nijinska the school did not and a few times threatened expulsion. Still, because he excelled so much in the arts, it gave him some protection that his mother could use in his favor. It would be a great mistake if the school lost a talented dancer such as Nijinsky. This exceptional talent he had, and he marked a prodigy, also caused him to be a target of bullying because of jealousy, some from students, others from teachers who were jealous they would never be as talented as Nijinsky.

If Nijinsky was ever challenged, he would always accept despite how dangerous what was being asked of him. It meant more to him to show he was fearless than not. Plus, I think he didn't want the bullies to use that as a tool to use against him. Also, one of his good friends, Kolya Issaev, a violinist he started distancing himself from and instead started hanging around the boys Rosai, Bourman, and Babitch, who were known for their mischief and deliberately trying to get Nijinsky in trouble so they would have a scapegoat. Then Nijinsky would be held back a year. They knew Nijinsky had a temper, so if they pushed his buttons, he would get into fights and then the boys would leave him, and he is the one that was blamed when they get caught.

One event that happened at the school almost took everything away from Nijinsky when he was a teen. The students in the ballet class, specifically the boys he was hanging around with, created a jumping contest and dared Nijinsky to jump to test how high Nijinsky could jump. Nijinsky accepted, of course, but he didn't know the cruelty that lay in wait for him. Nijinska explains in her own words what happened to her brother.

"Later, when I asked Vaslav what had happened during the recess, he told me the other students had egged him on. "We know you can jump far, over seven benches, but now let's see if you can jump as high. Come on, jump over this music stand." Just as Vaslav began his jump, Lukyanov, the oldest boy in the dancing class, had pulled him back by grabbing his leg from behind. "Kolya Issaev also told us that the whole idea had originated with Bourman, Rosai, and Babitch. They had first suggested the high-jump contest and then at the last moment, when Vaslav was not looking, they had raised the music stand so high that if Vaslav had seen it he would not have jumped. Other students told me they had also rubbed the floor in front of the music stand with soap." 

"Only after the special holiday did the Administration begin to investigate the accident and try to find out why the boys had scattered and hidden in the classrooms, leaving Vaslav unconscious on the floor. Bourman, Rosai and Babitch all denied any guilt-- it was impossible to get anything out of them-- and Vaslav said that he remembered nothing. They had agreed with Vaslav to spare Illiador Lukyanov. Vaslav felt sorry for Lukyanov. The boy's parents had separated before his birth, and through his father, Sergei Lukyanov, was a leading dancer at the Maryinsky Theatre, his mother was very poor. Lukyanov had begged Vaslav not to reveal his name, for if he were to be expelled it would cause his mother additional hardship. So the name Lukyanov was never mentioned during the investgation. The punishment meted out to Rosai, Bourman and Babitch was limited to a bad mark for conduct and the loss of one's Sunday's leave."

"Fortunately Vaslav had no broken bones, and towards the end of the school year he was allowed to leave the hospital, though he had to remain at home on a special diet for a long time. During his stay in the hospital both Stanislav Gillert and Sergei Legat visited him often. Of the students from the School only Kolya Issaev ever came to visit Vatsa. At the end of the school year Vaslav was promoted with the boys in his class on the basis of his dancing lessons, but not for his general subjects. His grades even before the accident had not been good, an also because he had missed a lot of school he was kept for the second year in the lower second grade. I finished the school year at the top of my class in all subjects and was accepted as a pupil of the Imperial Theatrical School." Quote from Bronislava Nijinska on her brother's accident.

Although Nijinsky lived miraculously through that event which almost cost him life, he became the scapegoat of another prank that nearly ended his life as a student at the school. The students from the school were riding in carriages to be taken to the Maryinsky Theatre; well, during this traveling, the boys had brought their slingshots which was a typical game kids had back then. Nijinska even mentions one she had. Bronislava Nijinska tells what happens in her own words.

"Vaslav and Georgi and several of the other boys had taken along their handmade slingshots and darts. The slingshots were made of thin strips of elastic pulled out of a dancing stocking garter, looped at each end toon the thumb and index finger of the left hand. The darts were pieces  of paper rolled tightly and bent paper were grasped firmly, pulled back, and then the dart was quickly released. I also had one of these slingshots and often played with it at home. As they rode to the Theatre the boys would fire at various targets such as lamp posts or street signs-- always careful not to be seen by the tutor in the last carriage."

"Later Vaslav told me that the older students in his carriage, instead of trying to stop him or Georgi from shooting their paper missiles, actually egged them on and eventually took over the slingshots themselves, firing the darts aimlessly as they moved along Bolshaya Morskaya, one of the most fashionable streets in St. Petersburg. Just as they turned into Isaakyevskaya Ploshchad [St. Isaac's Square] one of the darts hit the top hat of a passerby and almost knocked it off his head. He was an important government official."

"It was most likely the dart had come from the first carriage, which had gone past and disappeared, but the angry official stopped the second carriage. Closest to the window sat Nijinsky, pale and mute with fear, The government official pointed him out as the guilty one to the policeman standing nearby. The tutor came up and tried to smooth things over, but the angry official took no notice and ignored the pleading eyes of the boys. Then and there he insisted that the tutor make an official report to Telyakovsky, the Director of the Imperial Theatres. He also threatened to make his own report to Telyakovsky and said he would demand that the guilty boy be expelled." 

"Back at the theatre, confused and frightened at the thought of the punishment in store for them, the boys discussed what they should do. The older students decided to instead of everyone confessing his guilt and participation in the affair, they should deny everything; no one should confess. The students who were graduating that year had the most to lose, for the possibility of being expelled in their final year could mean the end of their artistic careers. If no one confessed and they all denied any knowledge of the incident, then the worst that could happen would be severe remonstration for Nijinsky, whom the official had mistakenly pointed out, and as one of them said, "They will not expel you, Nijinsky, you dance better than all the other students..." 

"When they returned from Theatre to the School they found the Administration already waiting for them to begin the interrogation. Everyone persistently denied his guilt. The culprit could have been in any one of the three carriages, for witnesses were found who had seen  darts flying from all three. But an example had to be made, and so they turned to the statement of the official who had put the blame on Nijinsky. It also emerged from the questioning that Nijinsky was considered the best shot with a homemade sling. So it seemed perfectly plausible that Nijinsky should be the only one responsible, especially in light of the fact that only a year earlier he had been threatened with expulsion because of bad conduct. Then the Administration decreed that Nijinsky was to be permanently expelled from the Imperial Theatrical School. Vaslav was sent home and told never to come back to the School. Mama wept  for two days. Finally, still weeping, she went to see Inspector Pisnyatchevsky and implored him to intervene on her son's behalf, begging that Vaslav be forgiven. Pisnyatchevsky as well as Vaslav's teachers, Sergei Legat and Mikhail Oboukhov, interceded for him with the Director, and Telyakovsky finally agreed to lessen the punishment: Nijinsky was to be demoted to the status of nonresident pupil and would be allowed to attend classes."

"The decision taken by the Director was communicated to Mother by Inspector Pisnyatchevsky, who added, "Before Vaslav Nijinsky can be allowed back in classes he must be severely punished at home, I order corporal punishment: several hard strokes with a leather belt." Mama was distressed."

 

"I have never punished Vaslav in this way, even when he was a little boy, and now he is nearly fifteen." " The Inspector, however was adamant. "For this matter you must then call your dvornik." [yard man]

 

"The bearded man who usually carried the wood up to our kitchen, came up to our apartment. He, Mama and Vaslav went into the living room and closed the door. Mama later told me that Vaslav had endured his punishment bravely. "

"That punishment at home was not the end of Vaslav's humiliation. He was ordered to return his uniform and books and all other items supplied by the School. Mama was at a loss. Now she would have to clothe Vaslav from head to toe. From the time Vaslav and I became resident students Father had been cutting down the money he sent each month; there were even times, when he was not working, when he did not send anything at all. Mother had earned some money by teaching and by renting out one of the rooms when we were away, but it was barely sufficient for herself and certainly not enough to feed an extra mouth, and a growing boy at that. She did not see how she could possibly find enough money to outfit Vaslav as well as feed him. With a heavy heart, Mother forced herself to go again to the office of Inspector Pisnyatchevsky and explain her difficult situation. She begged him that Vaslav at least be allowed to wear the School uniform and be given text book, notebooks, and dancing shoes. Pisnyatchevsky respected Mother's request... but when Vaslav returned to the School, before he was allowed in the classroom, he was stripped of his own uniform. He had to return his beautiful jacket with the two lyres on the blue velvet collar, the dress cap with the silver lyre, his winter coat with the astrakhan collar, even his underwear, socks and shoes. Then Vaslav was given another uniform. But what a uniform: a used one, wrinkled, old, torn, and full of holes. All Mother's efforts to repair, to iron, and in any way try to make Vaslav's clothing look presentable were in vain. "

"I recall how shocked I was when I came home on Saturday and saw Vaslav dressed in such shabby and wrinkled clothes. Seeing me, Vaslav looked embarrassed, but I had the impression that he wanted to look like a tramp, that he was obviously not making any effort to improve his appearance. His hair was disheveled and his clothes put on carelessly so as to look their very worst. I believe Vaslav hoped that the guilty boys, instead of calling him their hero, would feel their guilt at having placed him in this predicament. And by walking in the streets of St. Petersburg in an old worn-out School uniform, Vaslav was also trying to embarrass the Adminstration of the Imperial Theatrical School. But I could see how deeply my brother was suffering at having to come to rehearsals for performances at the Maryinsky Theatre dressed like that. To deprive him of the Theatrical School privileges, his residence, uniform, books-- everything he had become used to for the last five years-- was a cruel punishment and out of all proportion for such a trivial and innocent childish prank." 

"After only one month Nijinsky was pardoned and reinstated to the status of resident student of the Imperial Theatrical School. When Vaslav returned to the School after his humiliating experience, he concentrated on his class work and his grades became more satisfactory. He learned to control his temperament and no longer be roused to quick outbursts of anger."- Quote from Bronislava Nijinska's Brother humiliating experience that started with a slingshot.

I completely agree with Bronislava that punishment was severe, and Nijinsky didn't even do it. Instead, he was used as a scapegoat for a crime he didn't commit, and he couldn't do anything to prove himself innocent. Though it does seem after going through such an awful experience, he had a life change he no longer associated with the boys who were always into mischief; instead, he focused on his studies and his education at the school. Maybe through all that pain, he went through, he discovered he was on the wrong path with the wrong people blocking him from reaching his goal. He needed to make a change, especially when he was given a second chance to attend school and dance, which it was dance that he was so passionate about.