16 September 1917. Romola Nijinsky

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Romola Nijinsky

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I prayed for the end of the season. Vaslav was dancing Scheherazade. He had made changes in his make-up, which was now a deep hue of silvery grey. Watching him, I forgot all our troubles.

Once, at the finale, when he made his final jump, when he is chased by the soldier who hits him on the head, the audience rose with a scream, and I did too, although I had already seen Scheherazade more than a hundred times. In that final jump, Vaslav, with the briefest touch of his head on the floor, flung himself into the air by the action of his neck-muscles, quivered, and fell. I ran back stage, but there was Vaslav practising entre-chats! So convincing had his execution been that we all thought he was hurt.

But what I had been dreading all the time finally happened. Since the detectives were officially admitted to the theatre, and supervised the stage, curiously enough no more accidents occurred. I shall never forget the astonished faces of the management of the Russian Ballet when they asked, as they thought, some loafing strangers to leave, and were shown the detectives' badges. One evening when Petrouchka was given, during the last scene, when Petrouchka shows himself to the magician from the top of the Puppet Theatre, the thing happened. Suddenly the whole structure began to shake, as in an earthquake, and Vaslav pitched forward. He did not lose his presence of mind, and endeavoured to leap clear. From that height he would undoubtedly have injured his leg on landing, but Cecchetti, risking his own safety, sprang forward and caught Vaslav in his arms.

The investigation proved that the scenery had never been fastened. The signal had been given to begin the ballet before the stage hand could fasten it firmly enough.In spite of all the attacks that were made on him, even now Vaslav did not complain. He merely said, "Do not blame them. They do not realise what they are doing”.

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