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Vaslav Nijinsky was one of the most important male dancers of all time. He was born Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky on December 28, 1889, while his parents were on tour in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Kiev, Ukraine). His father, Foma (Thomas) Lavrentevich Nijinsky, and his mother, Eleonora Bereda, were of Polish-Russian heritage, they were celebrated dancers and had their own touring dance company. His father gave him his first dance lessons. Young Nijinsky made his stage debut at the early age of 5, in 1895, at Christmas pageant show in Nizhni Novgorod, Russia. There he had several stage performances with his little sister, Bronislava Njinska alongside his father and mother. In 1900 Nijinsky was accepted at the Imperial School of Ballet in St. Petersburg on a 7-year scholarship from the State of Russia. From 1900 1907 he studied dance and music at the Imperial School of Ballet, graduating with honors as a ballet dancer. He made his professional debut on the stage of Mariinsky Theare in St. Petersburg. There his partners were none other than Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina. Nijinsky performed as the leading star of Mariinsky Ballet, as well as a guest star at Bolshoi Ballet. He appeared as Albert in 'Giselle', and as the princes in 'Swan Lake' and 'The Sleeping Beauty'. His astounding performances were marked by the height and lightness of his leaps, impressive movements, and intense charismatic personality. Nijinsky's stage presence enchanted both critics and audiences. Nijinsky became the attraction for many important patrons, such as the Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Prince Vladimir Romanoff, and Prince Pavel Lvov. From 1907 - 1910 Nijinsky was the principal star of the Imperial Ballet at Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. There he met impresario Sergei Diaghilev and became his protégé; Diaghilev heavily invested in development of Nijinsky's talent and ultimately made him one of the most respected dancers of all time. In 1909 Sergei Diaghilev made Nijinsky the premier dancer with Ballets Russes. Nijinsky's complex relationship with Diaghilev would have a profound effect on his professional career as well as his personal life. In May 1909, on the sponsorship from Grand Prince Vladimir Romanoff, Diaghilev took Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova on their first and highly successful tour of Ballets Russes to Paris. During the seasons of 1909 - 1913 Nijinsky built his reputation having such great partners as Tamara Karsavina and Anna Pavlova under the leadership of Sergei Diaghilev and choreographer Mikhail Fokin. He also danced with Isadora Duncan in Paris, learning from her and absorbing from other influences and traditions. In 1913 Nijinsky made his debut as a choreographer for the Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with successful staging of ballets 'L'après-midi d'un faune' (1912, aka.. The Afternoon of a Faun), 'Jeux' (1913) on the music of Claude Debussy, and 'Le Sacre du Printemps' (1913, aka.. The Rite of Spring), for which Igor Stravinsky composed the famous score. At that time Nijinsky emerged as the most interesting and innovative male dancer who impressed audiences with his spectacular elevation in Grande Jeté, as well as his stage presence and his sensitive interpretations. In his performance of 'L'après-midi d'un faune' Nijinsky mimed masturbation with the scarf, causing an uproar known as “the greatest scandal of the cultural world“ that split audiences and became the talk of Paris and beyond. However, Nijinsky said “I don't know what happened, I had an orgasm right there on stage“ describing how he got that involved in his performance. He was defended by such figures as Auguste Rodin and Marcel Proust.
