Authors: Lucy Moore
14
âBefore leaving ⦠to go'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 77.
15
âpraised me very'
: ibid., p. 78.
17
âThe little devil'
: T. Karsavina,
Theatre Street
(London, 1948), p. 151.
17
âAre you a'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 85.
17
âmade to feel'
: A. Bourman,
The Tragedy of Nijinsky
(London, 1937), p. 6. Though he is wildly unreliable about later parts of Nijinsky's life, to the point of inserting himself into scenes where he is known not to have been present, Bourman was one of six boys in Nijinsky's year at the Imperial Theatre School and therefore his account of their school-life must be worth something.
18
âanger and jealousy'
: ibid., p. 20. Bourman accuses Georgy Rozai in particular of this jealousy (and this crime), but Nijinska's account of the accident has Bourman and another boy, Grigory Babich, equally culpable.
18
âI played a'
: V. Nijinsky,
Nijinsky's Diary
(New York, 1999), p. 116.
18
âunneccessary torment'
: M. Fokine,
Memoirs of a Ballet Master
(London, 1961), p. 16.
19
âThat to me'
: J. Kavanagh,
Rudolf Nureyev: The Life
(London, 2008), p. 21.
20
âThe theatre in'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 190.
21
âfelt a great'
: Nijinsky,
Nijinsky's Diary
, p. 115.
21
âYou have ⦠your brother'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 127. Later in his career Fokine saw Nijinsky as a rival, and as a consequence his memoirs offer Nijinsky only the barest minimum of praise through evidently gritted teeth; it is interesting therefore to read Bronia's account of his early response to her brother, whom Fokine's choreography made a star and who in turn took Fokine's ballets to new heights.
22
âexalted, vibrant, free'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 378, quoting Nadine (Nadia) Legat, Nikolay's wife.
22
âto a plane'
: ibid., p. 378, quoting Nikolay Legat.
22
âabove all ⦠and earth'
: J. Homans,
Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
(London, 2010), p. xxii.
22
âconvent-like'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 58.
29
âtorture chamber'
: Duncan,
My Life
, p. 121.
23
âtunic of cobweb'
: ibid., p. 119.
23
âLike eager ⦠and vividness'
: Duchesse de Gramont,
Years of Plenty
(London, 1932), p. 339. She continues, âAfter that, she became Isadora Duncan.'
23
âreminded us â¦
art form
'
: Fokine,
Memoirs of a Ballet Master
, p. 256.
23
âsoul wept with'
: Duncan,
My Life
, p. 119.
24
âby talent'.
S. Scheijen,
Diaghilev
(London, 2009), p. 143.
26
This ethnographic
: L. Garafola,
Diaghilev's Ballets Russes
(New York, 1989), p. 6 et seq.
26
âcomplete unity of'
: Homans,
Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
, p. 293.
26
âto participate'
: M. Rambert,
Quicksilver: The Autobiography of Marie
Rambert
(London, 1991), p. 61.
27
âfor the audience's ⦠the dance'
: Fokine,
Memoirs of a Ballet Master
, p. 132.
27
âan articulate ⦠slightest detail'
: ibid., p. 132.
28
âAs he extends'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 517.
28
âlike a bashful'
: Bourman,
The Tragedy of Nijinsky
, p. 77. Bourman doesn't refer specifically to this performance, but more generally to Nijinsky's early performances.
29
ânot merely to be'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 157.
29
âBronia, tell â¦
doushka
'
: ibid., p. 159.
30
Ibid., pp. 190â2: I have disregarded the secondary account of Romola Nijinsky, who described this last meeting between Vaslav and Foma as a sentimental reunion.
31
âamongst the chosen'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 123.
31
âa charming boy'
: M. Kshesinskaya,
Dancing in St. Petersburg
(Alton, Hants, 2005), p. 110. 31 âwhat secrets Nijinsky': Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 248.
31
âlike some exotic'
: A. Oliveroff,
Flight of the Swan: A Memory of Anna
Pavlova
(New York, 1935), p. 23.
32
âunworthy of her genius'
: S. Lifar,
Serge Diaghilev: His Life, His Work, His
Legend
(London, 1940), p. 139.
32
âsought more success'
: A. L. Haskell,
Balletomania: The story of an
Obsession
(London, 1977), p. 56.
32
âIf a dancer'
: A. Pavlova,
Pages of My Life
(New York, 1947), p. 10.
32
âthe quiet joys'
: Oliveroff,
Flight of the Swan: A Memory of Anna Pavlova
, p. 61.
32
âshows onstage. You watch'
: Kavanagh,
Rudolf Nureyev: The Life
, p. 645.
33
âI had my arms'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 196.
33
âI started to dance ⦠about me'
: Nijinsky,
Nijinsky's Diary
, p. 118.
33
Nijinska says Vaslav was recovering in the spring of 1908, nursed by Prince Lvov's (see below) valet. She speculates that Bourman's taunts about his relationship with Lvov prompted Vaslav to go with him to the prostitute where he could prove that he was a man.
34
Prince Nikolay Yusupov
: Homans,
Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
, p. 53.
34
âBallet is'
: Fokine,
Memoirs of a Ballet Master
, p. 52.
34
1,000 roubles
: Romola Nijinsky,
Nijinsky; and, The last years of Nijinsky
, p. 426. She says this sum was given at his introduction to Diaghilev, but since Lvov wouldn't have wanted money and Diaghilev wouldn't have paid it, I think it more likely that she got her facts slightly wrong (not uncommon) and it was paid by Lvov for his initial introduction to Nijinsky. See also Bourman,
The Tragedy of Nijinsky
, p. 122. R. Buckle names the pander as Boris Alexandrov.
34
âHe loved me'
: Nijinsky,
Nijinsky's Diary
, p. 163.
35
âmarvellously ⦠stupefied'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 217.
36
âit was a bad sign'
: M. Keynes (ed.),
Lydia Lopokova
(London, 1983), p. 46.
36
âperfection in the'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 248.
37
I have paraphrased Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 231.
37
âfor the rest of my life'
: ibid., p. 218.
38
âBefore, he had only known school ⦠innocence'
: Romola Nijinsky,
Nijinsky; and, The last years of Nijinsky
, p. 60. To be taken with the usual pinch of salt required for Romola's stories.
38
âthat very rare feeling ⦠hero'
: A. S. Benois,
Reminiscences of the Russian
Ballet in London
(London, 1941), p. 251 (phrases cited in different order from original source).
39
âdying of curiosity'
: ibid., p. 256.
39
âa magnificent bear'
: Serge Lifar in J. Drummond (ed.),
Speaking of
Diaghilev
(London, 1997), p. 292.
39
âone tooth on the edge'
: J. Cocteau,
Journals
(London, 1957), p. 55.
39
âlooked one through'
: A. Dolin,
Autobiography
(London, 1960), p. 28.
39
I know he smoked, but I am only guessing that he smoked Sobranie; it is such a peculiarly Russian smelling cigarette. The company was founded in 1879.
40
âhis bluelit nights'
: quoted in Lifar,
Serge Diaghilev
, p. 19.
40
âpeculiar lazy grace'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 352.
40
âlooked up to him'
: C. W. Beaumont,
The Diaghilev Ballet in London
(London, 1940), p. 8.
40
âIt is the Seryozhas'
: quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, p. 82.
40
âthe only one'
: quoted in Scheijen, ibid., p. 78.
41
âThe dream and'
: to Leo Tolstoy, quoted in J. Pritchard (ed.),
Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909â1929
(London, 2009), p. 40.
41
âEverything is here'
: quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, p. 58.
41
âpart of history'
: Nijinsky,
Nijinsky's Diary
, p. 109.
41
âWe are a generation'
: quoted in L. Garafola and N. V. N Baer (eds),
The Ballets Russes and its World
(New Haven, CT, 1999), p. 92.
41
âsly dandified primness'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 201.
41
âone think of champagne'
: J. Melville,
Diaghilev and Friends
(London, 2009), p. 11, quoting (I assume) Diaghilev.
42
âan individual gift'
: quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, p. 101.
42
âthere could be'
: ibid., p. 6.
42
âfor all his'
: Mstislav Dobuzhinsky quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, p. 132.
42
âThe end ⦠the Resurrection!'
: quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, p. 134.
43
âmy greatest'
: P. Stoneley,
A Queer History of the Ballet
(London, 2007), p. 58.
43
âelegant but unremarkable'
: L. Massine,
My Life in Ballet
(London, 1928), p. 47.
43
âwicked'
: Stoneley,
A Queer History of the Ballet
, pp. 68â9.
44
âmade me see'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 283.
44
âthe clamorous demands ⦠sensual demands'
: quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, pp. 114â15 (phrases cited in different order from original source).
46
âuninteresting'
: Benois,
Reminiscences of the Russian Ballet in London
, p. 289.
46
âto lose its human'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 210.
46
âgreatly impressed'
: ibid., p. 253.
46
âto their conversations'
: ibid., p. 258.
47
âto please Diaghilev'
: quoted in Scheijen,
Diaghilev
, p. 162.
47
âhelp cultivate'
: quoted in Scheijen, ibid., p. 162.
47
âhis most fervent'
: quoted in Scheijen, ibid., p. 169.
47
It was first on the list he and Astruc wrote in June 1908 of what they hoped would form their 1909 season. See R. Buckle,
Nijinsky
(London, 1971), p. 63.
48
âa child who'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 170.
48
âbarefoot childish hoppings'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 224.
48
âthe green box trees'
: quoted in R. Burt,
The Male Dancer: Bodies,
Spectacle, Sexualities
(London, 1995), p. 13. Burt adds that at this time the male nude as a subject for painting and sculpture also disappeared, and plain, dark suits became a bland and sexless uniform for men of all classes.
49
five times
: N. Macdonald,
Diaghilev Observed by Critics in England and the
United States, 1911â1929
(London, 1975), p. 6.
49
âI hated him'
: Nijinsky,
Nijinsky' Diary
, p. 103.
50
âmany beautiful women'
: ibid., p. 205.
50
âI knew perfectly'
: Dolin,
Autobiography
, p. 44.
51
âI came ⦠long time'
: Nijinska,
Early Memoirs
, p. 262. Some observers speculated that Lvov's motive in trying to set him up with Diaghilev was to get rid of a lover of whom he had become bored, but I think Bronia and Nouvel's accounts tally together better in this interpretation of events.
52
âthe lovely sight'
: Karsavina,
Theatre Street
, p. 219.
52
âthe tangled mass'
: D. Milhaud,
Notes without Music
(London, 1952), p. 19.
53
âlittle ladies ⦠canary-bird'
: de Gramont,
Years of Plenty
, pp. 24â5.
54
âa fairy godmother'
: Valentine Gross quoted in F. Steegmuller,
Cocteau:
A Biography
(London, 1970), p. 69.