Bronislava Nijinska
A revolutionary choreographer who broke ballet's classical mold, injecting it with modernist athleticism and geometric power.
1891–1972 (age 81)·Russian ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer·Birthday: January 8·The Lost Generation
Biography
Born into a family of dancers on the road, Bronislava Nijinska's life was movement. Her early years were shaped by her brother Vaslav's meteoric rise and the family's financial struggles. After training at the Imperial Ballet School, she danced with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, but her true voice emerged behind the scenes. Following the Russian Revolution and personal tragedy, she forged a path as a choreographer of startling originality. For Diaghilev, she created 'Les Noces' in 1923, a stark, ritualistic masterpiece set to Stravinsky that replaced delicate footwork with pounding, collective force. She founded her own schools in Paris and later in Los Angeles, becoming a crucial transmitter of the Ballets Russes style and a demanding teacher who shaped generations. Her work, often focusing on the strength and agency of women, redefined ballet's expressive range, moving it firmly into the twentieth century.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Bronislava was born in 1891, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bronislava Was Born
The biggest hits of 1891
Bronislava's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1891Born
President: Benjamin Harrison
1896Started school
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Became a teenager
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Could drive
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could vote
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Turned 21
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1921Turned 30
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1931Turned 40
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 50
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 60
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 70
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 80
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1972Died at 81
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
Key Achievements
- Choreographed the groundbreaking ballet 'Les Noces' (1923) for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, using a percussive, collective style.
- Founded the Théâtre Chorégraphique in Paris in 1925 and later taught influential schools in Europe and the United States.
- Created the choreography for 'Les Biches' and 'Le Train Bleu', defining the chic, sporty aesthetic of the 1920s.
- Served as the ballet mistress for the Polish Ballet and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1930s.
Did You Know?
She was the younger sister of the legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.
She choreographed the ballet sequences for the 1937 Hollywood film 'A Day at the Races' starring the Marx Brothers.
During the Russian Civil War, she ran a ballet school in Kyiv to survive.
Her daughter, Irina Nijinska, became a noted ballet teacher and répétiteur.
“The dance of the future will have to be strong, sharp, and precise. It will have to be architectural.”
