The Great Nijinsky by Lynn Curlee
Reviewed by Vanessa Perez, Ambar Reitz, Sam Reynolds, Sienna Racz
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| The Great Nijinsky by Lynn Curlee (book cover) |
Review:
Lynn Curlee’s The Great Nijinsky: God of Dance delves into the interesting life and career of Vaslav Nijinsky, including his scandalous queer relationships and his struggle with mental illness at the end of his short life. The intended young adult audience, as well as the purpose of the book as an exploration into a "cultural icon--dance prodigy, sex symbol, LGBTQ+ pioneer," as stated in the novel's description, serves to mark Curlee's work as a tool for young readers to understand the term 'queer' on a deeper level. By learning about Nijinsky's relationship with sexuality, artistry, and his own psychology, readers will gain a greater comprehension of how nonfiction explores relevant topics, such as queerness, in relation to the universal human experience.
The book begins by briefly overviewing Nijinsky's life, from his beginnings as a child of circus performers to his training at the Imperial School of Ballet. The author then explores his homosexual relationships with Prince Pavel Dimitrievich Lvov and Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, two wealthy and well-connected men who greatly influenced his career. Nijinsky's catalog of performances and choreographies is laid out, then the author describes the main elements of his social life, and finally his struggle with mental illness. The author also includes several forms of visual storytelling, including photographs and his own artwork.
Young readers will find that this book is an informative and interesting insight into the life of a queer artist. When it comes to the etymology of the word "queer," Keywords states that "the adjectival form also began to emerge during this time to refer to a person's condition as being 'not normal,' or 'out of sorts' (p. 161). This use of the word is easily applied to the author's account of Nijinsky's personality.
Curlee describes Nijinsky's incredible grace and power that he expressed through dance, but he also touches on the fact that despite the young man's athletic prowess, many described his personality as shy, awkward, and sometimes abrasive. In the chapter titled "Celebrity and Adulation," colleagues described how he would keep to himself most of the time, and how he "seemed always to be alone" (p. 36) even when surrounded by people. The author's inclusion of Nijinsky's somewhat "queer" personality makes the book more relatable to young readers while also touching on the wide-ranging nature of the word "queer" when it comes to literature.
Keywords also states that "there is no consensus on what makes a 'queer' story. Some consider that queer stories are those that include GLBTIQ characters; others contend that some stories (with or without GLBTIQ characters) can be read as having a queer sensibility or 'queer effects'" (p. 163). This applies to The Great Nijinsky because of the lasting power and fascination that Vaslav Nijinsky has upheld over the years, not only becoming a prominent LGBTQ+ icon but embodying the whole range of the word 'queer' through his unusual personality, unique talent, and tragic struggle with mental illness. This 'queerness' is one of the main elements that made him a celebrity within the artistic world.
Lynn Curlee's expressive work of nonfiction is a great example of how literature can broaden the minds of young readers through a combination of informative biography and visual storytelling. The Great Nijinsky shows how 'queerness' can transcend past sexual identity to encompass a wide range of parameters, whether it be physically, mentally, or artistically, and find common ground to relate to young readers.
Biography:
Lynn Curlee is a fine artist and gallery owner who has written and illustrated more than a dozen books for children and young adults. He earned his master's degree in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Architecture and Italian quattrocento painting. At the age of twenty-three, he moved to New York with the hope of becoming a painter. He made his professional debut two years later, in 1973, with an exhibit that included a painting of Nijinsky in The Spectre of The Rose.
In the following year, he did a series of paintings of the Ballet Russes. For the next thirty years, he found success as a gallery artist, where he debuted his work in New York, Los Angeles, and Long Island. In addition to hosting exhibits, he dabbled in commercial work, creating labels and posters for brands, as well as album covers for musicians such as the Blue Öyster Cult.
In 1991, Curlee began his second career of being a book illustrator when he was offered the opportunity to illustrate a children's book. He never considered this career path before, but found that he thoroughly enjoyed it. Not long after, he also decided to write them. Ever since that first illustrating job, the position of author-illustrator has been his primary artistic activity.
Curlee has won numerous awards for his work, including the Sibert Award, the ALA Notable Books for Children, and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year. His book, The Great Nijinsky: God of Dance, won the 2020 award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. His books typically focus on architecture and historical monuments, like the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge. While The Great Nijinsky may seem far removed from his previous work, Curlee credits the acclaimed dancer with starting his career. He wrote the first chapter of The Great Nijinsky in the fall of 2009, although the book would not be published for another decade.
In 2023, Lynn Curlee celebrates 50 years as a professional artist.
The Ballets Russes program for The
Afternoon of a Faun, with a costume sketch by Lèon Bakst, 1912
Instructional Resources:- This website focuses on the most iconic and famous Opera Houses in Russia in the 21st century so young readers gain the knowledge and imagery of how an Opera House functions in Russia. The Mariinsky Theatre, mentioned on the website, is where Ninjinsky performed as a soloist during his stardom.
- This article goes into depth about the riot committed during The Rite of Spring and provides insight into the excitement the riot caused to the audience during the time.
- Meanwhile, the original choreography of Nijinsky's The Rite of Spring is lost to history. There were verbal and written mentions of how it was performed and the energy behind the dance, so this video is of what we believe the dance was like during Nijinsky's time.
- This website focuses on Nijinsky's mental illness, Schizophrenia, and how it affected his passion for dancing and his personal life. Some links concentrate primarily on mental illness and the development of treatment, employment opportunities, and other equally famous individuals who suffer from this illness.
- This article focuses on living in Hungary during World War I, especially being a Russian Immigrant. The knowledge that Nijinsky avoided being drafted into the military service while living in Russia by migrating with his new wife to Hungary. Then, he was caught at the start of the war and labeled as a "war prisoner" and contained in his own home in Hungary along with his family.
- This article talks about being "openly" gay in Russia during the 1920s and how it affected them. This is to assist readers in comprehending what it was like to be "openly" gay or express these tendencies during this time period. This not only talks about gay men but cross-dressers and lesbians by the showcase of the first picture shown when entering the article.
- This article pinpoints young Russian children growing up in dancing troops during the 21st century. This is to assist readers in noticing the difference between Nijinsky's dancing troop days versus today's modern times of the Russian dancing troops in child development.
- This website talks about Psikhushka, a Russian term for Psychiatric hospital. This gives readers more insight on psychiatric hospitals that contained individuals like Nijinsky and his brother, Stassik. Also, this website is part of the Global Informality Project, giving readers more information on Russian Psychiatric Hospitals and ways to support their causes that run on the Healing of the Mind and Psychiatric assistance of unfortunate individuals.
Instructional Activity:
Preview:
In this activity, students will be able to learn more about the ballets performed by The Ballets Russes as mentioned in the novel, including the story and context in which the ballets were written.
California Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.3
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Resources and Preparation:
To prepare, students will need their copy of the novel and a laptop or other device to conduct online research.
Instructional Plan:
1. Students will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned a ballet.
Recommended ballets to include:
The Rite of Spring
The Afternoon of a Faun
Petrushka
The Firebird
Till Eulenspiegel
If the class size is particularly large, the remaining ballets mentioned in the novel can be included.
2. Each group will research their assigned ballet, focusing on the story and the context in which it was written.
3. Students will create a presentation in which the ballet is acted out. Narration is encouraged, but not required, in order to ensure the rest of the class understands. Replicating the choreography of the ballet is not necessary.
4. While it is possible to do the entire activity in one day, it may be necessary to present the ballets on a different class day if time does not allow.
Bibliography
Written Sources:
The Ballets Russes program for The
Afternoon of a Faun, with a costume sketch by Lèon Bakst, 1912
