Vaslav Nijinsky (also
Vatslav; ; ; ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a Russian
ballet dancer and
choreographer of Polish descent, cited as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. He was celebrated for his virtuosity and for the depth and intensity of his characterizations. He could dance
en pointe, a rare skill among male dancers at the time and was admired for his seemingly gravity-defying leaps.