Vaslav Nijinsky — dancer with roots in the Russian Empire
Vaslav Nijinsky was a Polish-Russian ballet dancer born in Kyiv who became the most celebrated male dancer in history and one of the most important choreographers of the 20th century. His performances in The Afternoon of a Faun and The Rite of Spring — both for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes — caused riots and transformed art. He went mad at 29 and never danced again.
Tracing the roots — Kyiv
Born in Kyiv (Russian Empire) in 1889 to Polish parents who were professional dancers, Nijinsky trained at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg — the finest in the world — before his partnership with Diaghilev made him an international phenomenon. His genius and his tragedy — dancing for only a decade before descending into schizophrenia — make him one of the most devastating figures in the history of art.
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Kyiv. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
A career defined by ambition
"I am God. I am God. I am God."