SYNOPSIS

Sergei Diaghilev reflects on his years with the Ballets Russes during his final days in Venice in 1929.

The scene shifts to Alexandre Benois in Saint Petersburg, mixing a new turquoise color for a painting, when he meets Sergei at university. Sergei invites Alexandre to join his vision of creating a ballet company unlike any before, and Alexandre accepts.

In France, they meet Igor Stravinsky and decide to create the ballet Petrushka. Sergei visits Théâtre du Châtelet to secure a month-long run. Initially dismissed by the theatre owner, he impresses him by praising the architectural details of the auditorium and offering full payment in advance. Back at the Ballets Russes office, Alexandre is astonished, and Sergei reassures him that a duke has invested in the company.

However, they still lack a leading dancer. While attending an uninspiring ballet, Sergei notices the extraordinary performance of a young dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky. He invites Nijinsky to join the production, and as they speak, their connection deepens beyond ballet. Sergei, whose aspirations were dismissed by his father, and Vaslav, marked by a troubled upbringing and the loss of his mentor, form an intense and unspoken bond.

Alexandre and Igor are equally impressed by Nijinsky, calling him “тоска (또스카).” During preparations, Alexandre introduces a proscenium-based stage structure to enhance the visual impact, while Nijinsky proposes a reflective floor so that his solo performance can stand out more clearly.

Their collaboration proves fruitful, and Petrushka becomes a major success. At the celebration, Vaslav asks Sergei to slip away for a walk along the Seine, where they come to believe their meeting was destined.

The Ballets Russes moves on to a new work, The Rite of Spring. Nijinsky chooses not to dance, taking on the role of choreographer instead, explaining that if he were to perform, he would not be able to fully see and shape the beauty of the stage he envisions. Alexandre and Igor object, arguing that they would not design the stage or conduct if Nijinsky does not dance, but Sergei, deeply infatuated with him, refuses to oppose his decision. Nijinsky even asks Stravinsky to revise the music and imposes strict discipline on the dancers, resulting in many leaving the production.

At its premiere, The Rite of Spring is met with chaos. The audience protests, refunds are demanded, and investors withdraw. Sergei insists that the uproar will ultimately make the ballet famous and proposes concert performances to familiarize audiences with the music. At the same time, he brings in a new choreographer, Léonide Massine, acknowledging that his personal feelings have influenced his judgment. Enraged by this decision, Nijinsky leaves the company, and Sergei ensures that he is not hired elsewhere in Europe.

Alexandre attempts to reach Nijinsky, sending telegrams and traveling to London, only to discover that Nijinsky has married. Sergei feels betrayed upon hearing the news. Meanwhile, a revised version of The Rite of Spring gains success and is praised for its beauty, though Stravinsky insists that the work was never meant to be beautiful and believes Nijinsky’s interpretation was closer to its true intent.

Later, Alexandre learns that Nijinsky has been admitted to a mental hospital and has lost much of his memory. Sergei visits him in London, but Nijinsky no longer recognizes him. Nijinsky appears content simply to dance, wanting nothing more. Sergei reflects on his choices, stating that even if he could return to the past, he would still have trusted Nijinsky and entrusted him with the choreography, and that he does not regret that decision. He recalls his first encounters with Alexandre and Igor, as well as the fleeting brilliance of Nijinsky.


REVIEW

The music was generally stable, with several numbers standing out for their sensibility. Each performer was given a solo, and Nijinsky was also provided with ample opportunity to sing. The role of Nijinsky was performed by a dancer capable of executing ballet movements, which were both refined and expressive, while his vocal delivery remained steady. His portrayal effectively conveyed a sense of fragility without losing control.

The performer playing Igor Stravinsky delivered a firm and grounded vocal performance. His solo number, “Start with C,” was structurally engaging, beginning with strong projection and unfolding with clarity.

The actor portraying Benois provided a stable presence throughout. As a character positioned between stage management and legal oversight, he consistently appeared with a briefcase. Although he seemed relatively young, his presence on stage was assured.

Sergei Diaghilev appears less as a purely manipulative figure than as one whose emotions are deeply self-directed, expressed through control over both people and artistic production. While the other three figures respond primarily through artistic intuition, Diaghilev persuades through language and influence, while privately appearing burdened, often accompanied by drink and smoke. His attachment to Nijinsky reads less as mutual emotion than as a form of self-oriented aesthetic fixation. The performer rendered this balance with consistency, and the brief shared ballet sequence with Nijinsky was handled naturally. The contrast between Nijinsky’s single turns and Diaghilev’s attempted double turns, followed by a moment of hesitation, added a light but effective touch.

The musical numbers overall were consistent, with elements of Stravinsky’s musical language providing familiarity. The ensemble number “Santé!” captured the tone of the production well, and it would have been effective to reprise it during the curtain call.

The absence of explicit explanation for why Russian artists were active in France reads as a deliberate omission. While brief scenes in Russia and later Venice appear intermittently, the narrative remains centered in Paris.

For Russian artists of the time, Paris was less a place of exile than a natural extension of their cultural world, though for Diaghilev it became a deliberate base for artistic expansion.

Relationships between characters are presented with restraint. The connection between Diaghilev and Nijinsky is clearly implied, revealing the depth of Diaghilev’s attachment. Apart from the final moment where emotion intensifies, the development remains measured and convincing.

The staging was effectively designed within the limitations of a mid-sized theatre. The use of a two-level structure, windows, and doors, combined with lighting projection, allowed for spatial expansion. In the Théâtre du Châtelet sequence, red curtains and illuminated window frames successfully suggested both stage and auditorium. The final image, with yellow light falling over Sergei’s attire, provided a fitting visual conclusion. Transitions involving doors and curtains could have been executed more smoothly.

The production team is developing a trilogy centered on Nijinsky and Stravinsky, approaching the same historical period from multiple perspectives. This structure allows the figures to be understood in a more layered way, rather than through a single narrative line.

While the project’s initial motivation is not explicitly stated, the work appears to align more closely with the structural and rhythmic radicalism of The Rite of Spring than with the narrative qualities of Petrushka, suggesting that this may have served as a conceptual starting point.

In any case, the sustained engagement with a single theme across multiple works lends the project a clear sense of direction and purpose.