I Am Nijinsky. A tribute to ballet legend Vaslav Nijinsky.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Music: "A Most Dignified Betrayal" by Trevor Kowalski
Vaslav Nijinsky was a legendary Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. Born March 12, 1889, in Kyiv, Ukraine, he is considered the greatest male dancer of the 20th century. The son of two celebrated dancers, Nijinsky took the dance world by storm.
His expressiveness and beauty, featherweight lightness yet steel-like strength, and phenomenal virtuosity were extraordinary. Blessed with amazing elevation, he had the incredible gift of rising into the air, seemingly to remain there as if floating. In addition to his remarkable physical abilities, his astonishing dramatic acting made him a genius of the ballet. His expertise and technical perfection earned him popularity and respect within a short career span of nine years.
His ephemeral, yet brilliant career was tragically shortened due to mental illness. In 1919, he suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He spent the last 30 years of his life in and out of asylums and psychiatric hospitals. He died April 8, 1950 due to kidney failure in London at the age of 61.
Photos:
1 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Specter of the Rose, photo by Emil Otto Hoppe.
2 - Nijinsky in Danse Siamoise in the Ballet "Les Orientales." Photo by Eugène Druet (June, 1911).
3 - Russian dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky, performing in Giselle (Photo by Popperfoto).
4 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Spectre de la Rose. Photo by Hulton/Corbis.
5 - Photograph of Nijinsky in the title role of the ballet Petrouchka (Petrushka), 1911. [Mishkin N.Y.]
6 - Vaslav Nijinsky Russian dancer c. 1910.
7 - Nijinsky with Tamara Karsavina dancing in Giselle.
8 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Spectre de la Rose.
9 - Nijinsky in Petrouchka (Petrushka).
10 - Nijinsky, Giselle.
11 - Vaslav Nijinsky Russian dancer as faun in the ballet Afternoon of a Faun, Paris, 1912.
12 - Vaslav Nijinsky in the Ballet Jeux by Claude Debussy. Private Collection. Artist Gerschel, Charles (1871-1948).
13 & 14 - Vaslav Nijinsky (1890-1950) russian dancer, in ballet Blue God by Michel Fokine, Paris, 1912.
15 - Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, in a scene from the ballet Pavillon d'Armide. Music by Nicolai Cherepnin, choreography by Mikhail Fokine, design by Alexandre Benois. (Photo by Hulton).
16 - Nijinsky in Danse Siamoise in the Ballet Les Orientales. Photo by Eugène Druet, June 1911.
17 - Vaslav Nijinsky Russian dancer in ballet Scheherazade, 1910 in Paris. Photo by Bert.
18 - SCHEHERAZADE with Vaslav Nijinsky, 1910-1912.
19 - Russian ballet dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky as Petrouchka.
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Pam Boehme Simon for Graceful Beast Ballet
#vaslavnijinsky
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Some years ago British television showed a documentary about this extraordinary dancer. He was taken from the hospital to a ballet studio and watched class. He was then filmed standing in first, deep demi-plie and shot straight up, perfectly still arms, alighted softly and smiled the most beautiful smile - full of remembrance of his past glory and his love of dance. He seemed quite old by then, and I cried when I watched it, and my eyes are getting wet as I type now.
Pity we missed that programme.
Well done, Pam. Nijinsky was so much a part of the 1920's, a brilliant decade in the arts. That last picture of him as a sad, tired clown was poignant, a glimpse into his soul?
Thanks again, and yes, you saw what I was meaning to convey exactly! So tragic...
Congratulations Pam for finding some rare pictures of Nijinsky that I had never seen, the one in modern casual slacks for example is totally new to me. Thank you for your beautiful work as usual. ❤
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
The tennis clothing photo is from a ballet he choreographed - featuring tennis. It is time for a fresh, intelligent(!) documentary about him and his life and prodigious talent. It's all there: gifted dancer, struggles with his sexuality, mental health.
@@Homerun153 You’re right. Thank you for the info.
La leyenda Nininsky es inolvidable. Modernizo el ballet así como los disfraces. El Zar Nicolás II le expulsó del Marinsky por usar mallas y los parisinos se escandalizaron cuando interpretó El FAUNO.
Cuando dejó de bailar se hundió anímicamente, su final fue triste. Siempre recordado.❤❤❤🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Thanks, dear Pam, is a beautiful record of a tormented genius, who was previously a child who was violated from his earliest years and then sank into the mists of dementia. He is always my inspiration
Il volait me disait mon grand-papa : )) Avec une certaine forme de nostalgie ! Mille et un mercis pour ces archives : ))
My gran saw him dance as well as Pavlova.
What absolutely fantastic memories to be sure. To have seen two such legends!! Wow. Thanks so much for sharing your grandmother's wonderful experience ❤❤
Köszönöm,szeretem a balettet.
Nagyon örülök, hogy tetszik. Köszönöm, hogy megnézted és írtál.
Precioso! Gracias🙏
какой же он красивый ♥
Too much art..Aperson wuith such feeling...
Dear Pam thank you
Big hug Ema
Thank you for these wonderful snippets that we'd never know otherwise
The last photograph is the true, damaged human, lost and hurt - absolutely haunting the facade has been demolished and it is almost a confession of what lies within, poor man. The most talented always seem to be the most unhappy people inside.
Quite right... as soon as I laid eyes on that crushingly poignant photograph two things happened. I wept for that poor, tortured soul, and I knew that would be the final shot in the story I wanted to tell. One can only hope that in the end, he was finally granted the peace that so often eluded him in life.
@@PamBoehmeSimon Absolutely Pam.
This, the best of the Nijinsky photos I've seen with moving music, shows Nijinsky in many of his roles, including Afternoon of a Faun by Debussy, where part of his costume (spots) were painted directly on him. Many of his Ballet Russe costumes (and that of others like Tchaikovsky ballets) are today part of the incredible collection at the Wadsworth in Hartford, CT--a must see.
Oh you've no idea how much your very kind comment means to me. I held back for years creating any homage to Nijinsky. I thought I'd never be able to do him justice. I finally clicked the upload button on this video after much contemplation and agonizing. Thank you so much for the "attagirl"...he is beyond exquisite and must never be forgotten. That's one reason I do what I do. The new humans as they come along must be shown the beauty and wonder of the ones who came before.
@@PamBoehmeSimon Keep it up! I just saw on-line a poor talk on the Ballet Russe (not one drop of music or adequate slides; your selections of photos wonderful!) and was hunting around for photographs of Nijiinsky (saw some that attempted to fuse into ballet, but without the feeling yours have; yours a good chronology of his life as well) Yours are fantastic, really evokes Nijiinsky! I hope to see an extraordinary exhibit on the Ballet Russe in NYC at The Morgan Library (ending in September; very fine film overview of exhibit on the Morgan website). Maybe you've seen the exhibit already? I've seen Nijiinsky's costume for "Afternoon of a Faun," Debussy (and others). The costume is incredible! Some of the spots, as you know, painted directly on his skin (costume fit the manikin better than on him, at least in the photos I've seen of Nijiinsky wearing). (Do you have a print of original poster? A good one on stretched canvas: www.amazon.com/dp/B091G1999P/coliid=I1PR0T2W2LDM9U&colid=2CT4ZKCMJCWZ5&ref_=_sed_dp&th=1 ). Marvelous ballet costumes of Ballet Russe at the Wadsworth, Hartford, CT (Baltimore Museum of Art exhibit, 2003, see article with wonderful photos) and Albert & Victoria Museum (I've not seen). Curator at Wadsworth will be working on organizing index of their ballet costume collection so all can know exactly what they have, one hopes will include photos. I do like your first name! My best, Pamela L. Poulin, PhD Professor Emerta, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Johns Hopkins University
@@pamelapoulin1871 OMGOSH I awoke to such a thrill!! I would adore the poster. How generous! I had not seen it before nor have I been so fortunate as to visit the costume exhibits. I would love to some day. Wow Pam. It is a good name is it not? Has served me well. However, growing up I was only ever called "Pamela" when I was in trouble lol. Thank you, thank you for your gracious offer. I would dearly treasure such a gift. Hugs from Texas
@@PamBoehmeSimon Address?
@@pamelapoulin1871 Is there no film of Nijinsky dancing?
Thank you Pam. I found this deeply touching. He has something that transcends even these photos.
Absolutely my pleasure and an honor Fiona. You are so right. He seems not of this world.
Nijinsky... THE FIRST!!!
Thank you so much, Pam ❤
You are so welcome! Thank YOU ❤️
Indeed, he was an earthquake, and a tormented soul...that flew in Heaven.✨💙
My poor love, he had a very sad and short life. He and Sergei Diagliev were lovers.
Thank you so much for a very nice video, dearest Pam, ❤️
Yes I knew about Sergei and Vaslav.
We can only hope that their time together brought him some brief joy ... his story is so sad.
He was pimped out to Diagliev when he was only 19. Diagliev was apparently a harsh master and promptly sacked him when Nijinsky married a woman (from what I have read).
@@LauraHay-ng1rs exactly, Diagliev was a sexual predator much like Weinstein. He preyed on young boys who wanted a chance to dance. I dont think its a coincidence that many of his "lovers" turned out to marry women later on. Bisexuality is a thing but still, the imbalance of power is evident and too strong to be dismissed. I doubt that many of the dancers wanted to actually sleep with him but had no choice.
‘I hated him, but I went in search of luck. I found luck there because I immediately made love to him. I trembled like an aspen leaf. I hated him, but I put up a pretence, for I knew that my mother and I would starve to death. I realised one had to live, and therefore it did not matter to me what sacrifice I made’.
Nijinsky wrote this about Diaghilev. He was forced to sleep with him.
@@LauraHay-ng1rswhat you read is correct, many young men sacrificed their bodies to Diaghilev even though they were repulsed by him.
Vaslav defied gravity.
THE GREATNESS OF RACHMANINOV AND NIJINSKY
at the smithfield library stoke on trent ..and other CANON CAMERAS
for the bbc and robbie kg willifscms