On Sunday 10 March the Russian Ballet Icons Gala, this year dedicated to the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky, will take place at the London Coliseum. The gala will include performances from the best living masters of ballet, dancing pieces from this iconic dancer’s repertoire as well as classic and contemporary dedications to one of the greatest dancers the world has ever known.
Born March 12 1890 in Kiev, Vaslav Nijinsky is often regarded as the greatest male dancer of the 20th Century. He made his debut with the Mariinsky Theatre in 1907 and with his spectacular leaps and unrivalled grace, he was an immediate success, dancing leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty, often with Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina.
He travelled to Paris (1909) and, as premier danseur in Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe, was the first to dance the leading roles in Petrushka, Les Sylphides, Scheherazade, and The Spectre of the Rose, all choreographed by Fokine, and in ballets he himself choreographed-The Afternoon of a Faun (1912), The Rite of Spring (1913, for which Stravinsky composed the famous score), Jeux (1913), and Till Eulenspiegel (1916). His status as a legend and icon is unsurpassed in the history of dance.
Find out more about the rich variety of West End shows on offer in Theatreland.