Nijinsky--one of the towering figures in the history of ballet--was unique as a dancer, interpretive artist and choreographic pioneer. His breathtaking performances with the Ballet Russe in the seasons from 1909 to 1913 took western Europe by storm. His avant-garde choreography for "L'Après-midi d'un faune" and "Le Sacre du printemps," which provoked battles in the theater and the press, is now regarded as the foundation of the modern dance. Drawing on personal conversations with countless people who knew and worked with Nijinsky and many years of far-flung and painstaking research, Richard Buckle has written what is surely destined to become the definitive Nijinsky biography. -from dust jacket.