Vatslav Nijinsky, known as the Bird Man, king of the air and the eighth wonder of the world, left a significant mark in choreography and male dance, despite his brief creative career. He opened new horizons in body plasticity and proposed a dance style based on expressionism, precision, and vivid emotions.

His brilliant work at the Mariinsky Theatre lasted only a few seasons. After performing the role of Albert in the ballet "Giselle" in his own costume, which members of the imperial family deemed inappropriate, Nijinsky was dismissed for refusing to change it.

Then Vatslav became a star of Sergei Diaghilev's European troupe "Russian Seasons," where he also excelled as a choreographer, staging the ballets "Afternoon of a Faun," "The Rite of Spring," and "Games." These productions were so innovative that their premieres were accompanied by scandals and a division of the audience into two camps. As a dancer, Nijinsky remained unattainable, astonishing spectators with his jumps that seemed to defy the laws of physics: he hovered in the air and gently descended to the stage. Each of his roles was unique, and his transformations were so convincing that it was hard to believe it was the same artist. The only constant was his genius. Sculptor Rodin created a sketch of the artist's image.

However, after marrying ballerina and Hungarian aristocrat Romola Pulskaya in 1913, Nijinsky's career began to crumble. He left Diaghilev, and his attempt to create his own troupe failed. From 1917, he began to experience episodes of schizophrenia, and he last performed on stage in 1919. The illness progressed, and he spent the remainder of his life in psychiatric institutions. Vatslav Nijinsky passed away on April 8, 1950, in London, and in 1953, his ashes were transferred to Paris to Montmartre Cemetery.