Nijinsky Gives Up Teaching To Focus On His Own Dancing

Photo Credit: Vaslav Nijinsky in ballet "Paquita", 1908, Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia

Bronislava Nijinska recounts a memory in 1907 where her brother Vaslav Nijinsky met his idol the pianist Josef Hoffman though  Nijinsky's friend  Prince Lvov. Nijinska describes this moment in her own words and when her brother quit teaching his Social Dancing classes.

 

"He has only to enter a room and his presence and personality brighten everyone and everything around him" 

"Seeing how impressed Vaslav was by Hoffman, Lvov talked to him at length, trying to encourage Vaslav's ambition and stressing how important it was for him to have continuous training in dancing and then he should take every possible lesson with Cecchetti. I think Lvov must have known that Vaslav did not feel that Legat's classes had much to offer him and that Vaslav took advantage of the slightest excuse in order to miss them."

"Lvov also advised Vaslav that he should stop teaching the social dancing classes; they took well over four hours, a waste of precious time and strength that he should be using his own dance training. Naturally Lvov understood very well that it was necessary for Vaslav to teach with his salary insufficient to cover even our essential living expenses."

"He offered  to pay for Vaslav's lessons with Ceccheti. He talked with Mama, asking us to support him in his efforts to convince Vaslav to accept his offer. Lvov said that Vaslav was a gifted young man and this was not just his own opinion but was shared by all who had seen Nijinsky dance."

"But Vaslav is still a boy- a youth who must continue to strive  towards perfection. It would make me proud for the rest of my life to know that had contributed to the development of this great talent by making it possible for him to continue with his own training instead of having to waste time, strength, and energy in teaching social dancing."

"Vaslav is proud, I know, but his pride should be guided to the unfolding  of his unique artistic talent."

"Lvov also said that he felt it was duty of every truly honorable man as wealthy as he was, to encourage talent such as Vaslav's. Such patrons of art were not unusual in Russia. They supported talented artists, musicians, painters, and singers, and they financed theatrical productions and contributed to museums and scientific search. We had heard from our parents about such patrons and their generosity."

"Mama and I agreed with Lvov when he suggested that people who engaged Vaslav to give social dancing lessons were similarly motivated, in as much as the payments of one hundred rubles that Vaslav received for these lessons far exceeded the regular fees paid for social dancing classes. So some people were already coming to his aid."

"We said we were surprised that Vaslav should willingly accept money from strangers but refuse the help offered by sincere, close friend of the family."

"Soon Vaslav accepted. He began his own daily lessons with Cecchetti, for which Lvov paid the one hundred rubles a month. He was also considerably aware of Vaslav's material needs and would anticipate them in such a way that Vaslav never had to ask him for assistance." 

"To satisfy Vaslav's pride, Pavel Dmitrievitch  assured him that once he was famous, he could pay him back."

"Little by little Vaslav dropped many of his private lessons, but he continued to teach the young sister of Elena Sechenova-Ivanova, for Vaslav and Elena were close friends and she would have been very hurt if he discontinued teaching her sister."

"Vaslav also felt that the girl could be a talented dancer. She was always the success of the evening in the performances of the children's operas where he mounted the dances."

"Later Vaslav was able to persuade her father that she should be entered in the Imperial Theatrical School to train as a dancer- something considered quite improper at that time for the daughter of the aristocratic family."

"Vaslav also enjoyed his continuing work with Asafiev, mounting the dance sequences for the new children's opera, The Snow Queen, from the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Vaslav loved working with children." - Quote from Bronislava Nijinska when her brother Vaslav Nijinsky decided to give up teaching Social Dancing classes.

Bronislava Nijinska description of how Hoffman entered the room just reveals how important he was to them and an inspiration to Nijinsky. It seems they were all dazzled by his artistry and his very presence the way he's described.

It's interesting to note here again we hear of Nijinsky's dislike of Legat and now Nijinsky even has the Prince Lvov supporting that Nijinsky doesn't learn anything from Legat. Legat definitely seemed to be a thorn in Nijinsky's side the way he always brings him up and how much he dislikes his classes. It's very clear here that his friends even know his dislike for Legat.

It seems  that Prince Lvov is taking it upon himself to be Nijinsky's guardian because he literally tells Nijinsky to stop teaching the social dancing because he believed it was hurting Nijinsky's dancing because it took time away from Nijinsky's own dancing Prince Lvov felt. It also showed how Prince Lvov took the reins of Nijinsky's path when he said he pay for Nijinsky's lessons with Cecchetti which is the teacher Nijinsky has always wanted to learn from. 

I understand Prince Lvov was trying to be a good friend paying for Nijinsky's classes but I also can't help but have a feeling  that Prince Lvov was over stepping his place and being a bit manipulative because he was literally telling his friend what to do and it's Nijinsky's life not Prince Lvov. I just felt Nijinsky was being driven on the path Prince Lvov wanted by doing that, but Nijinsky does soon agree with Prince Lvov and stops teaching some of his students except for one because of the student being the sister of his close friend. 

I feel though even if Nijinsky had went against Prince Lvov advice he would have still gotten to where he wanted to because Nijinsky was a go getter if he saw an opportunity for his dancing to shine or choreographing  he took it so there is no doubt in my mind Nijinsky wouldn't have got to his desired path without ending his teaching.

I felt Nijinsky was very empathetic because he always worried about others feelings and struggles for example when he was younger the students who pulled a prank that almost cost him his life he didn't throw them under the bus because he worried about the boy's mother and their family's situation. That character seemed to not change he still cares about others feelings which is why he didn't want to hurt his friend by ending her sister's lessons. It's a very redeemable quality he had but I'm sure Prince Lvov wanted him to quit all lessons.

Nijinsky even gets his close friend's sister he had been teaching father to let his daughter enter the Imperial Theatrical School because he saw the talent she harnessed.

Also it's interesting to read that Bronislava makes the observation her brother would be a good teacher himself for children because he cared about the children's learning and he also enjoyed teaching children which Nijinska could clearly see from observing her brother Nijinsky.