Nijinsky Revisited

By Soultari Amin Farid

noramin_dd@yahoo.com

I spend my nights reading about you, Vaslav NIJINSKY. Trying very hard to somehow bring myself into your little realm where you first found your inspiration for the "Rites of Spring" and how you must have felt to be hissed and cursed at by the very public who have once regarded you as a dance god.

Reading accounts after accounts, introduced to various media that still exist of this dance performance that caused a stir within the "civilised" arts world just before the WW1. I am undoubtedly intrigued by the passion and desire to change, to break the hegemony of what was considered beautiful. Vibrating bodies, deformed limbs and constant stamping, these was some of the components that caused the audience to exclaim, "Nijinsky has committed a crime against grace".

After all this reading and multiple documentaries, I am propelled to think further. What must it have felt for Nijinsky's dancers to be dancing that opening night on 29 May 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées? To be placed in such a stressful situation, when audiences were hissing and cursing at them while them are dancing, practically straining their ears to hear the music.

But despite all the disturbance, the performance went on and was allowed to finish. Today, after a 100 years later, this performance -- once perceived as provocative and primitive -- continues to live on through many different adaptations and interpretations.

Such moments in dance history make me think a little harder about what it means to be a choreographer. Amused, I will never thought I will make any reference to a Western choreographer in my life, let alone be caught reading books about ballet which I detest because of its hegemony in the world -- and particularly in Singapore. But I have changed, especially when I realise that every form of art provides lessons to be learnt.

Truly I am grateful to my many students who believed in me and remained faithful even when it seems the choreography I have given was challenging or my ideas out of the norm. Wholeheartedly, a dancer's belief in his/her choreographer is crucial. Nijinsky's dancers kept on going even when they initially rejected his ideas/concept/techniques. And I am thankful, that my dancers who stayed on and continuously believed in me when my work seems a tad too out of the norm.

Thank you to the many dancers who have graced the stage and completed the productions for your commitment is reflection to your belief and support in my work. I hope such strong commitment continues to be evident throughout my artistic journey.