Nijinsky
Melbourne
Synopsis
Choreographer's Note
On January 19, 1919, at five o'clock in the afternoon in a ballroom of the Suvretta House Hotel in St Moritz, Switzerland, Vaslav Nijinsky danced publicly for the last time. He called this performance his "Wedding with God".
My ballet Nijinsky begins with a realistic recreation of this situation. The choreography which follows, however, visualises his thoughts, memories and hallucinations during this last performance. - John Neumeier
Part I
Prompted by the imagined appearance of his former mentor, impresario and lover, Serge Diaghilev, Nijinsky recalls images of his sensational career with the Ballets Russes. Dancers, as aspects of his personality, perform fragments from his most famous roles. Harlequin, the Poet from Les Sylphides, the Golden Slave from Schéhérazade and the Spirit of the Rose merge and mingle with characters from his private life.
His sister Bronislava, later a choreographer, his older brother Stanislav, trained also to be a dancer – but marked from childhood by signs of madness – and his mother, the dancer Eleonora
Bereda, who along with his father Thomas were the children's first teachers, also appear in his dreamlike fantasy.
In another scene of the ballet, Nijinsky remembers his search for a new choreographic language. His experiments with movement result in his own original ballets: L’après-midi d’un faune, Jeux, Le Sacre du printemps, and later Till Eulenspiegel.
A woman in red, Romola de Pulszky, who will later become Nijinsky's wife, criss-crosses his confused recollections. He relives their first encounter on a ship to South America and their abrupt marriage – an event that caused the ultimate break with Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes.
Part II
Nijinsky's madness drives him more and more inside himself. Memories of childhood, family, school, and the Mariinsky Theatre blend with nightmare visions of World War I – and his wife's infidelity.
The scandalous premiere of his ballet Le Sacre de printemps appears juxtaposed with the brutality of World War I and his brother Stanislav's death. Romola is with him through difficult and bad times.
In Nijinsky’s eyes, it is the world around him, not "Nijinsky", that has gone mad … The Suvretta House performance and my ballet end with Nijinsky's last dance – the War.
Cast sheets
Select a performance
Friday 21 February 7.30pm
Saturday 22 February 1.30pm
Saturday 22 February 7.30pm
Monday 24 February 6.30pm
Tuesday 25 February 7.30pm
Wednesday 26 February 1.30pm
Wednesday 26 February 7.30pm
Thursday 27 February 7.30pm
Friday 28 February 7.30pm
Saturday 1 March 1.30pm
Saturday 1 March 7.30pm
Vaslav Nijinsky
Callum Linnane
Romola Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Bronislava Nijinska
Jill Ogai
Serge Diaghilev
Maxim Zenin
Stanislav Nijinsky
Elijah Trevitt
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Ako Kondo
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Marcus Morelli
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Jake Mangakahia
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brodie James
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Benjamin Garrett
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Isobelle Dashwood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Sulki Yu
-
Piano Soloist Andrew Dunlop
Viola Soloist Paul McMillan -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Jake Mangakahia
Romola Nijinska
Benedicte Bemet
Bronislava Nijinska
Samara Merrick
Serge Diaghilev
Jarryd Madden
Stanislav Nijinsky
Marcus Morelli
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Rina Nemoto
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Chengwu Guo
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Hugo Dumapit
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Luke Marchant
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Adam Elmes
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Jade Wood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Yi Wang
-
Piano Soloist Tamami Iino
Viola Soloist Thomas Higham -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Callum Linnane
Romola Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Bronislava Nijinska
Jill Ogai
Serge Diaghilev
Maxim Zenin
Stanislav Nijinsky
Elijah Trevitt
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Ako Kondo
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Marcus Morelli
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Jake Mangakahia
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brodie James
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Benjamin Garrett
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Isobelle Dashwood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Sulki Yu
-
Piano Soloist Andrew Dunlop
Viola Soloist Paul McMillan -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Adam Elmes
Romola Nijinska
Ako Kondo
Bronislava Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Serge Diaghilev
Jarryd Madden
Stanislav Nijinsky
Cameron Holmes
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Isobelle Dashwood
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Yipeng Xu
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Maxim Zenin
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Luke Marchant
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Elijah Trevitt
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Jade Wood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Sulki Yu
-
Piano Soloist Tamami Iino
Viola Soloist Thomas Higham -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Callum Linnane
Romola Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Bronislava Nijinska
Jill Ogai
Serge Diaghilev
Maxim Zenin
Stanislav Nijinsky
Elijah Trevitt
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Ako Kondo
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Marcus Morelli
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Jake Mangakahia
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brodie James
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Benjamin Garrett
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Isobelle Dashwood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Yi Wang
-
Piano Soloist Andrew Dunlop
Viola Soloist Paul McMillan -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Jake Mangakahia
Romola Nijinska
Benedicte Bemet
Bronislava Nijinska
Samara Merrick
Serge Diaghilev
Jarryd Madden
Stanislav Nijinsky
Marcus Morelli
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Rina Nemoto
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Chengwu Guo
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Hugo Dumapit
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Luke Marchant
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Adam Elmes
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Jade Wood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Sulki Yu
-
Piano Soloist Tamami Iino
Viola Soloist Thomas Higham -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Adam Elmes
Romola Nijinska
Ako Kondo
Bronislava Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Serge Diaghilev
Jarryd Madden
Stanislav Nijinsky
Cameron Holmes
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Isobelle Dashwood
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Yipeng Xu
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Maxim Zenin
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brett Chynoweth
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Elijah Trevitt
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Jade Wood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Yi Wang
-
Piano Soloist Andrew Dunlop
Viola Soloist Paul McMillan -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Callum Linnane
Romola Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Bronislava Nijinska
Jill Ogai
Serge Diaghilev
Maxim Zenin
Stanislav Nijinsky
Elijah Trevitt
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Ako Kondo
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Marcus Morelli
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Jake Mangakahia
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brodie James
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Benjamin Garrett
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Isobelle Dashwood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Yi Wang
-
Piano Soloist Tamami Iino
Viola Soloist Thomas Higham -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Jake Mangakahia
Romola Nijinska
Benedicte Bemet
Bronislava Nijinska
Samara Merrick
Serge Diaghilev
Jarryd Madden
Stanislav Nijinsky
Marcus Morelli
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Rina Nemoto
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Chengwu Guo
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Hugo Dumapit
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Luke Marchant
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Adam Elmes
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Jade Wood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Sulki Yu
-
Piano Soloist Andrew Dunlop
Viola Soloist Paul McMillan -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Adam Elmes
Romola Nijinska
Ako Kondo
Bronislava Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Serge Diaghilev
Jarryd Madden
Stanislav Nijinsky
Cameron Holmes
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Isobelle Dashwood
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Yipeng Xu
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Maxim Zenin
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brett Chynoweth
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Elijah Trevitt
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Jade Wood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Yi Wang
-
Piano Soloist Tamami Iino
Viola Soloist Thomas Higham -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria
Vaslav Nijinsky
Callum Linnane
Romola Nijinska
Grace Carroll
Bronislava Nijinska
Jill Ogai
Serge Diaghilev
Maxim Zenin
Stanislav Nijinsky
Elijah Trevitt
Tamara Karsavina/The Ballerina
Ako Kondo
Nijinsky as Harlequin/Spectre of the Rose
Marcus Morelli
Nijinsky as Golden Slave/Faun
Jake Mangakahia
Nijinsky as Petruschka
Brodie James
Léonide Massine/The New Dancer
Benjamin Garrett
Doctor
Joseph Romancewicz
Eleonora Bereda
Isobelle Dashwood
-
Conductor
Jonathan Lo
-
Concertmaster
Yi Wang
-
Piano Soloist Andrew Dunlop
Viola Soloist Paul McMillan -
With Artists of The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria