14. The Greatest Ballet Dancer of All Time Was Addicted to Prostitutes
Vaslav Nijinsky (1889 – 1950) was one of history’s greatest ballet dancers. His ability to dance en pointe – on tippy-toes – was rare for male dancers in his day, and he captivated audiences with his spectacular leaps and sensitive interpretations. He got his start performing in classical ballets such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, before joining the Ballets Russes – a ground breaking company of that era. His talents were so remarkable that special ballets were created just for him, to showcase his skills. The man was a revolutionary force in ballet until his career was cut tragically short by schizophrenia.
He was also an addict, whose drug was prostitutes. After his death, it came out that Nijinsky had a flat-out obsession with hookers. He was ashamed of what he viewed as an unfortunate affliction, but he simply could not refrain from gratifying his craving for prostitutes, whom he referred to as “tarts”. Nijinsky’s diary frequently describes his disappointments when he would “look for [a prostitute] all day long and not find one“. It also describes his joy upon finding them, and how he “made love to several tarts a day” on such occasions.