Ballet Archives

  Photo Credit: Vaslav Nijinsky & Anna Pavlova in the ballet Carnival, 1911, London, England Bronislava Nijinska talks about although she was a fan of Fokine's ballets, she didn't like his ballet, Eunice. She recounts this memory in her own words. "I did not like the sets, which were obviously borrowed from the staged like an old ballet with many mises en scene,  while much of the choreography was a la Duncan, in a pseudo- Greek style. I was  disappointed  and during the intermission, despite my devotion to Fokine, I had to admit that I did not like Eunice. A "battle" ensued as I was attacked by Fokine's own students, all of whom admired the ballet, But to me Eunice lacked artistic taste, it was like the scenes pictured on the top of chocolate boxes." It is clear Nijinsky rubbed off on his sister Bronislava because she had a different opinion than everyone else and was not afraid to speak her mind  just like her brother which the majority might not h

Photo Credit: Vaslav Nijinsky as Prince Albrecht from the " Giselle" Ballet, Paris, 1910     Vaslav was in his last year of the Imperial Theatrical School and preparing for his role in the Nutcracker for the Christmas season. Bronislava Nijinska explains this memory in her own words. "Every year just before Christmas all the government schools in St. Petersburg, including the Imperial Theatrical School, were taken to the Maryinsky Theatre to see a performance of the ballet The Nutcracker. Traditionally the roles of the Nutcracker and the King of the Mice were assigned to graduating students. That year Leni Gontcharov danced the role of the Nutcracker, and Vaslav danced the role of the King of the Mice." "Vaslav had worked his role well, and he was splendid. He wore a gray cloak with red lining, and as he expertly flung it around himself the bright red accentuated the gray mouse costume and the crown on his mouse head. Majestically he commanded his army of mice

Photo Credit: Vaslav Nijinsky as a Greek slave in the ballet "Evnika", 1909, Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia from Bronislava Nijinska's Early Memoirs  In 1906-1907, Vaslav Nijinsky was in the last year of the Imperial Theatrical School, and all he could do was wait until he could leave and become the artist he wanted to become. His sister Bronislava Nijinska describes this in her own words. "For this year, which was to be Vaslav's last in the School, Mama decided to move into a smaller apartment, with only two rooms. This way she was able to save twenty-five rubles a month, which she put aside for Vaslav's graduation outfit." "From the start of his graduation year, Vaslav seemed very grown-up; both at home and in the School he acted as though he were already an Artist. The company of adults began to attract him, and spent a good deal of time in discussions with one of the strictest teachers in the School- Grigori Grigorie Isaenko." &q

Vaslav Nijinsky in "The Pharaoh's Daughter, 1905, Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia The Imperial Theatrical School had stringent rules, and one of the most strict was the prohibited communication between the boys' and girls' divisions of the school. Bronislava Nijinska discusses how she and her brother broke that rule and what that meant in her own words. "I had brought with my savings, a croquet set with heavy mallets made of Karelian birch. Vaslav and I stamped out a smooth level playing area and played the game. For some time Vaslav always won, but eventually I acquired a skill like his and could pass through all the wickets and the mousetrap." "Then we lost interest in the game, until it was revived with the appearance in the garden of a student from my class, Antonia Tchumakova. Tonya had only recently joined my class, so at this time I knew her just slightly." "She was a pretty girl, a brunette with big blue eyes framed by long bl