Nijinsky. Even the name has a sort of mystical, dramatic feel to it. He is one of a handful of men who have received the spotlight in ballet. I think that more should share in that honor. Men are as vital to ballet as an art form as women are–yet women get the bulk of the attention. George Balanchine once remarked, “Ballet is woman,” and although I totally get where he is coming from, it should not negate the value of men.
Where there is no man…no ballerina floats. For the yin of the delicate solos of women in pointe shoes and pink tutus, there really needs to be the yang of men leaping powerfully across the stage without reserve. It is in the contrast of these two that the magic of the danse really shines through. It represents the forces within us all. The softness and the hardness. The subtle and the forceful.
I’m sure this has been remarked on before, but today I just wanted to highlight it again and send out a thank you to all the men in ballet. Without you…it just wouldn’t be magical.
