Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky, (1890-1950). Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. His family was by tradition associated with dancing and he became a member of the Russian Imperial Ballet at the age of 18. After leaving Russia in 1911, he joined Diaghilev’s company in France and rapidly gained an international reputation. His dancing was outstanding and he seemed to defy the law of gravity. As a choreographer he introduced new styles of dancing in ballets such as L’Apres-midi d’un faune and The Rite of Spring. However, his mental instability forced him to retire from ballet in 1918.
