Nijinsky, Vaslav - Signed Contract-Receipt and Drawing 1917

Russian ballet dancer (1890-1950) and choreographer, probably the most celebrated male dancer in the entire history of dance.

Important original type-written receipt signed by him, dated on August 24th, 1917 in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Nijinsky receives the amount of $500 (USD) for his 7th show on a tour in South America. Payment part of a contract for $2,000 previously signed in Barcelona with Sergei Diaghilev. 

Nijinsky had left Europe on July 4th, 1917 for his last dance tour with wife Romola, for a tour to Brasil, Argentina and Uruguay. The rest of the famous Ballet Russe company was with him. An interesting story took place about these performances in Rio, according to Romola Nijinsky´s biography, and is about a dispute over the rights of the pieces mentioned in this receipt. According to Romola, they could not be included in the program since Nijinsky owned the rights over their choreography and was not paid for that, so the content of the program had to be changed in the last hour.

One page, written in French with a typewriter, boldly signed by Nijinsky and dated in Rio de Janeiro on 24.8.17, over a fiscal stamp. Size is 8.25 x 9.5 inches, mild rust toning over the left border (quite less visible in the original than in the scan), in overall excellent condition.

A transcription of the French text and a translation into English are also included.

ALSO INCLUDED is a reproduction of a drawing by Edmond van Saanen Algi, a Romanian-born architect and stage designer (1882-1938), who also studied Fine Arts in Paris. Van Saanen Algi is well-known for his portraits of Vaslav Nijinsky, Isadora Duncan and Pavlova.