Bronislava Nijinska

Bronislava Nijinska (1891-1972), Polish choreographer, sister of Vaslav Nijinski.

"In February 1908, I had the opportunity of seeing Isadora Duncan when she returned to St Petersburg. 

  I had heard many people talking about her in the School, in the theatre and at home. She was famous in our city and the public were impatient to see her.

  Such an unforgettable evening! With my own eyes I saw Isadora Duncan dancing, the one whom Mathilda Kschessinska and Anna Pavlova so admired, I knew, the one who had inspired Fokine's new choreographies …

  Many people came to our box to talk to (Tamara) Karsavina and (Vaslav) Nijinsky, who they then considered young artists full of originality, and in the interval they were arguing animatedly about the need for ballet to be reconsidered.

  I remained silent but I agreed with Vaslav who believed that progress would not come from the rejection of classical ballet in favour of "Duncanism", but from the revival of stage direction in the works of the repertoire.

  I also agreed with Karsavina, who found that there was room for the two styles and that each one would have something to gain and be enriched by observing the other … I saw this show with pleasure was thinking that the students of the Imperial School of Dance would have no need of another additional lesson in order to perform Duncan's dances.

  But no one would be able to dance as Isadora did: her personal art was a creation of genius."