Born: 8 January 1891, Belarus
Died: 21 February 1972
Country most active: International
Also known as: Bronislava Fominichna Nijinskaia
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
1891 January 8 Born Bronislava Fominichna Nijinska in Minsk, Belarus, to Eleonora Bereda Nijinska and Tomasz (Thomas) Nijinsky
1908 Graduated from Imperial Theater School (Russia)
1909-1913 Danced with Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev
1912 Married Alexandre Kotchetovsky (divorced April 1924)
1913 November 20 Daughter Irina Nijinska Kotchetovsky born in St. Petersburg, Russia
1919 Opened l’Ecole de Mouvement (The School of Movement) in Kyiv, Ukraine. Son Léon Kotchetovsky born in Kyiv (died September 1935 in France)
1922-1924 Created and/or performed in several works with the Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev including Les biches, Les fâcheux, Les noces, Nuit sur le mont chauve, and Le train bleu
1924 October 26 Married Nicholas Singaevsky in Berlin, Germany
1925 Created Le guignol, Holy Etudes, Jazz, On the Road, and Touring for the Théâtre Choréographique Nijinska
1926-1927 Served as director of choreography at the Teatro Cólon
1928-1929 Created Le baiser de la fée, La bien-aimée, Boléro, Les noces de Psyché et de l’Amour, Nocturne, La princesse cygne, and La valse for Ballets de Madame Ida Rubinstein
1932 Created Les comédiens jaloux and Variations de Beethoven. Works performed by Ballets Russes de Nijinska and Théâtre de la Danse Nijinska
1935 Choreographed dances for the motion picture A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Max Reinhardt
1937-1938 Created Apollon et la belle, Chopin Concerto, Legend of Cracow, and La rappel for the Polish Ballet and toured the company in France, Germany, Latvia, and Poland
1940 Created La fille mal gardée for the inaugural season of the Ballet Theatre (later American Ballet Theatre)
1941 Opened Hollywood Ballet School where Irina Nijinska also taught
1943 Created Hitch Your Wagon to a Star and Vision for Ballet Repertory Company (Chicago)
1944-1960 Created several ballets for companies run by George, Marquis de Cuevas, including Brahms Variations, In Memoriam, Pictures at an Exhibition, Rondo Capriccioso, and The Sleeping Beauty
1949 November 18 Became a naturalized citizen of the United States
1950 April 8 Death of brother Vaslav Nijinsky (born 1890)
1964-1966 Restaged Les biches and Les noces at the Royal Ballet (United Kingdom)
1969-1970 Restaged Les biches, Chopin Concerto, and The Sleeping Beauty at Center Ballet of Buffalo (later called Niagara Frontier Ballet)
1972 February 21 Died in Pacific Palisades, California
1980-1989 Revivals of Les biches (Dance Theatre of Harlem, Oakland Ballet), Boléro (Oakland Ballet), Les noces (Dance Theatre of Harlem, Oakland Ballet, Purchase Dance Corps.), Rondo Capriccioso (Dance Theatre of Harlem), and Le train bleu (Oakland Ballet) under the supervision of Irina Nijinska
1981 Publication of Early Memoirs by Bronislava Nijinska, translated and edited by Irina Nijinska and Jean Rawlinson
1986 Exhibition “La Nijinska: a Dancer’s Legacy” on display at Cooper Hewitt Museum (New York City) and the Legion of Honor (San Francisco, California)
1990-1991 Exhibition “La Nijinska: Choreographer, Dancer, Teacher” on display at New York Public Library
1991 July 2 Irina Nijinska died in Inglewood, California