Vaslav Njinsky and Tamara Karsavina in 'La Spectre de la Rose', at the Palais Garnier,...

Vaslav Nijinsky (12 March 1889/1890 – 8 April 1950) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer, cited as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. He grew to be celebrated for his virtuosity and for the depth and intensity of his characterizations. He could perform en pointe, a rare skill among male dancers at the time and his ability to perform seemingly gravity-defying leaps was legendary. Le Spectre de la rose (English: The Spirit of the Rose) is a short ballet. It is about a young girl who dreams of dancing with the spirit of a souvenir rose from her first ball.[1] Jean-Louis Vaudoyer wrote the ballet story. He based it on a verse by Théophile Gautier.