Bronislava nijinska biography for kids

By Kristen Lawson

Bronislava Nijinska had a profound impact on dance as both an artist and teacher, but she has largely been forgotten. Everybody has heard of the legendary avant-garde choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, yet his equally talented sister, “Bronia,” was a phenomenal dancer and choreographer in her own right.

Dance historian and professor Lynn Garafola delves into the life and work of one of the 20th century’s most overlooked artists in La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern (Oxford University Press). Nijinska (1890-1972) created over 60 original works across Europe, Argentina, Australia, and the United States. Inspired by constructivism and other painting abstractions, she sculpted her ensembles into architectural shapes and complex movement patterns. She argued that the choreographer and composer should work together to create a unified ballet, and insisted that movement was the primary element in dance, rather than miming and poses.

Like her famous brother, she d

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