The Great Nijinsky
God of Dance
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- 7,99 €
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- 7,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
A tragic story of a cultural icon—dance prodigy, sex symbol, LGBTQ+ pioneer—this compelling work of narrative nonfiction chronicles a life of obsessive artistry and celebrity of Vaslav Nijinsky.
With one grand leap off the stage at the 1909 premiere of the Ballets Russes's inaugural season, Nijinsky became an overnight sensation and the century's first superstar, in the days before moving pictures brought popular culture to the masses. Perhaps the greatest dancer of the twentieth century, Nijinsky captured audiences with his sheer animal magnetism and incredible skill.
He was also half of the most famous (and openly gay) couple of the Edwardian era: his relationship with Serge Diaghilev, artistic director and architect of the Ballets Russes, pushed boundaries in a time when homosexuality and bisexuality were rarely discussed. Nijinsky's life was tumultuous--after marrying a female groupie he hardly knew, he was kicked out of the Ballets Russes and placed under house arrest during World War I. Unable to work as he once did, his mental health deteriorated, and he spent three decades in and out of institutions.
Biographical narrative is interspersed with spotlights on the ballets the dancer popularized: classic masterworks such as Afternoon of a Faun, The Firebird, and of course, the shockingly original Rite of Spring, which caused the audience to riot at its premiere. Illustrated with elegant, intimate portraits as well as archival art and photographs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Riveting, richly saturated acrylic-on-canvas paintings highlight the latest from Curlee (Mythological Creatures: A Classical Bestiary), about the celebrated early-20th-century dancer Vaslav Nijinsky and his times. More than just a biography, this homage to the "god of dance" often strays from Nijinsky's life story to introduce other great artists of the era composer Igor Stravinsky, dancer/choreographer Mikhail Fokine, designer L on Bakst, and, especially, impresario Sergei Diaghilev whose combined talents made the Ballets Russes company, where Nijinsky made his name, a sensation. Curlee follows the dancer's life from his birth in Kiev to itinerant Polish entertainer parents, through his early years at the Russian Imperial Ballet School, to his discovery by Diaghilev and spectacular 1909 Parisian debut, tracing his remarkable, brief career as well as his descent into mental illness. In frank accounts, Curlee discusses Nijinsky's bisexuality, including his open affair with Diaghilev, seen as scandalous at the time, and his impetuous marriage to a Hungarian socialite. The book's spacious pages heavily illustrated with original paintings, vintage photos, and simulated programs elevate the moving story, making for a memorable volume that captures the dancer's singular talent, fame, and notoriety. Ages 12 up.
