The Ballets Russes in Paris
Born into a family of dancers, Nijinski was exceptionally talented. He attended the Imperial Ballet School in St Petersburg and then at 18 joined the Imperial Theatre Ballet Corps where his rise was meteoric. In 1908, Nijinski met Diaghilev, and together they started the Ballets Russes venture which resulted in Nijinski leaving the Imperial Theatre definitively in 1911. The Ballets Russes company was a success from the very first performances in 1909 at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris, and their productions of Le Pavillon d'Armide, music by Tcherepnine, Les Sylphides, music by Chopin and Cleopatra, music by Arensky and other composers, firmly established the fame of the company.
