When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot

by Lauren Stringer

The Russian artists Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky were popular in their time: Stravinsky for music, Nijinsky for dance. When their radically new ballet, "The Rite of Spring," was first performed in Paris on May 29, 1913, the reaction was so polarized, there were fistfights and riots! Brilliant or disastrous, the performance marked the birth of modern music and dance. Stringer's rhythmic text and gloriously inventive, color-rich paintings capture the wild and imaginative collaboration of composer and choreographer. The fascinating author note includes photos of the dynamic duo and "The""Rite of Spring" dancers.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens, History, Art

32 pages, ebook

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

LAUREN STRINGER is an artist, author, and theatrical designer living in Minneapolis, MN. She received her BA in Art and Art History from the University of California, Santa Cruz and continued her art education with the Whitney Museum of American Art, Independent Study Program in NYC. She has exhibited her paintings and sculptures in museums and galleries across the country. In 1991 she received the McKnight Foundation Fellowship for sculpture. In 1994, Stringer’s first picture book, Mud, written by Mary Lyn Ray, won a Minnesota Book Award, IRA Children’s Choice Award, and Crayola Kids Best Book of the Year Award. Since Mud, she has continued illustrating many award-winning picture books, including Scarecrow and Snow, both written by Cynthia Rylant, Fold Me A Poem, written by Kristine O’Connell George, Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story, written by Lisa Westberg Peters, and Tell Me About Your Day Today, written by Mem Fox. She wrote and illustrated Winter is the Warmest Season, a Booklist Editor’s Choice and a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. Her story When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky won the McKnight Foundation Fellowship for writing in Children’s Literature in 2012 and was published in spring 2013 to many starred reviews. Deer Dancer, written by Mary Lyn Ray, will be published spring 2014. When not writing and illustrating picture books, Stringer is the scriptwriter and set designer for Circus Juventas, America’s largest youth circus school as well as a visiting author/artist in the schools.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my 5-year-old, and then found a video of The Rite of Spring (a 10-minute excerpt anyway), which made the story 100X more interesting for her. Books about music should be accompanied by music!
She was mad that the first audiences didn't like the ballet, and vowed to protect people from meanies like that when she is grown up.

[Bléu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Top notch alluring and rich illustration. Also, interesting tale, a real story of Russian creatives--a composer and a dancer--whom inspired each other to create from their friendship. And the author did both the texts and the art, wow! i am impressed 👏

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stravinsky and Nijinsky create the ballet, The Rite of Spring.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really well done, but as an adult I really appreciate the bonus content in the author's notes. There was a full-blown RIOT after this ballet premiered? People were booing from the very first notes? Yowza. I listened to The Rite of Spring (the whole thing, just the music) after reading this book and I understand why people may have found it shocking or off-putting. To me, a lot of it sounded like a horror movie soundtrack. But of course, there were no horror movies back then, so it must have been quite alarming to hear an orchestra making all of those sounds if you'd never heard anything like it before.

The coolest thing though, is the fact that there are people in the world who can write musical pieces like this, and hear all of the different parts in their heads. That will never not be amazing to me.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun -- two artists who were ahead of their times...both deeply committed to their Russian heritage, ready to shake things up. And boy, did they!

Stravinsky had already composed Firebird, but together the composer and the dancer created, first Petrushka, and then...and then they literally brought down the house with Rite of Spring. The modern, dissonant music and the Russian folk dancers stomping around the stage was too much for some in that first audience. Others loved the novelty.

The audience was making such a ruckus that according to one critic, made it impossible for the dancers to hear the music cues.

This book makes the story accessible through words that sing and dance, and illustrations that reflect the times, including lovely cubist pieces as a nod to Picasso.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Composer Igor Stravinsky dreamed of making something new and different; ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky shared a similar dream. In 1911, the two met and inspired each other to create different art based on themes from traditional Russian music and dance. Their initial collaboration resulted in a brawl in the audience due to its mixed reception.

Stringer's acrylic art is inspired by the 1910s, using themes, style, and colors from that time. They swish and swirl across the page, capturing the flavor of the dance and music.

This is a fine introduction to these famous innovators of modern music and modern dance.

Recommended for PreK-grade 3

[Stephanie Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot by Lauren Stringer is the true story of how a musician and a dancer teamed up together to create a new ballet that was so controversial that it started a riot on its opening day. The images show dance moves, instruments, and music from the ballet that give the reader a feeling of what the performance is like. The story demonstrates how hard work, creative thinking, and dedication can lead to something extraordinary. This is a fabulous book to explain this piece of music history in an interesting and eye-catching way.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talks about how The Rite of Spring changed both music and ballet, and the art in the book draws a lot from the visual art of the period as well, especially post-Impressionism and Cubism. (I don't think it really shows the differences in what was normal and Rite of Spring, but it does talk about the folk dance and music that Stravinsky and Nijinsky drew on.)

I thought this was most appropriate for ages 5-8; it would be cool to use with lessons related to art history in elementary school.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stravinsky - a music composer - and Nijinsky - a dancer composer - were well-known for their individual art. When they met, they created something new and different. Audience members at the first performance of The Rite of Spring either loved it or hated it, and riots broke out to which the police had to be called. But the change had happened, and their influence was already set in motion.
Well-told story beautifully illustrated. Extra interesting information is on the back two pages.

[Andrea Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of how two Russian musicians, Nijinsky and Stravinsky met, combined their talents, and created a new combination of music with dancing that forever changed music and dance. It shows the two men’s creativity and how they worked together and weren’t afraid to try something new and out of the box, which in return led to the creation of something remarkable.

[Ro Menendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

‪How Stravinsky and Nijinsky met and collaborated to create never before experienced music and choreography will provoke readers to realize the powerful effect music, dance and change can have! #bookaday ‬

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, we will have to watch some of the collaborations.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Igor Stravinsky felt that his compositions were lacking something; Vaslav Nijinsky felt similarly about his choreographies. When the two artists collaborated to create the ballet, "The Rite of Spring," their piece took their audience by storm. Although some were strongly opposed to the revolutionary piece, others wholeheartedly embraced their creation; regardless, they had formed a masterpiece that would not be forgotten.

Media: acrylic on watercolor paper, by Lauren Stringer

The playful, almost humorous tones of Stringer's storytelling, combined with the flow of her text's description create a whimsical, artistic feel within "When Stravinsky Met Ninjinsky" that I felt was very fitting for a story about two innovating artists. I also appreciate Stringer's promotion of collaboration within the arts, and believe that her depiction of successful teamwork will open readers' eyes, particularly young readers, to the importance of open-mindedness when working on any sort of project, because often the least likely options turn out to be the best, as Stravinsky and Ninjinsky discovered.

[Klaudia Janek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Recommended [return][return]In this non-fiction picture book, the reader is introduced to Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky. The author introduces Stravinsky as a famous Russian composer and Ninjinsky as a famous Russian ballet dancer. The two decided to collaborate and create something new that the world had not seen or heard yet. It was so different that “at rehearsal, some of the dancers declared it a mess and one or two musician walked out.” The world premier of the Rite of Spring took place at the Theatre des Champs Elysees in May of 1913 (clearly illustrated in the book). Some of the audience hated it and some loved seeing something so new. Some people began yelling and fighting in the aisles. Stravinsky and Nijinsky were pleased that they had begun something very different and new on the night of their premier.[return][return]The illustrations reflect the dissonant, atonal, avant garde feeling of the Rite of Spring. The idea of cubism and Russian folk tales are woven throughout the pages. There are instruments and music notes all over the place. The images are very colorful and very loud…just like the ballet. This book would be perfect for a read aloud in an upper elementary or middle school music class. It introduces a movement and the idea of artists collaborating. A lot of messages are conveyed in this picture book. It would also be a good story to read in art class. It conveys the idea of cubism and telling a story through visual art. The reader can see that the illustrations were inspired by Picasso and Matisse. This one night was revolutionary in the world of art. Things were quickly changing and it was hard for some people to get used to this change.[return][return]I think some musical and artistic background is needed to fully appreciate this book, or at least someone who can explain it to children. It is very informative. The author provides notes at the end about both Stravinsky and Nijinsky. It also provides more information about The Rite of Spring and the illustrations. One thing that really stood out to me was that despite the near riot breaking in the theatre, the conductor Pierre Monteux conducted Stravinsky’s score from beginning to end without missing a beat. Amazing! I don’t agree with the Horn Book review about the inaccuracy of the text. For an introductory book, it’s great. Also, the rhythm of the text reflects the rhythm of the music. It is not too much. This is an interesting and fun book. There is also an accompanying AR test for those students interested.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard of the riot caused by the performance of The Rite of Spring, but I did not realize that it was a ballet as well. This was a lovely story about friendship, creativity, cultures and traditions. This also includes a bit about the visual arts of the time. The lads were intrigued and were drawn in by the story.One thing that bugged me was that it sounded like it was trying to rhyme and have a rhythm, but I never could get it to flow.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minnesota author, Lauren Stringer's meticulously researched "When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot" is beautifully written and illustrated! This ode to the arts was a joy to read.

In 1911, composer Igor Stravinsky met dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Eventually, the two collaborated in the creation of the ballet, "The Rite of Spring," which was first performed on in Paris in 1913. This very new and unique ballet literally let to a riot after soem of the audience booed the performance, while others stood and cheered. Together the two artists propelled the world of music and dance into the 1900's and beyond.

In terms of writing, I love Stringer's use of onomatopoeia to make the sound of the orchestra come alive for the reader ("and kettledrums that lightly pom-di-di-pommed" and "his trumpet tah-tahed"). At times, the words visually jump off the page as well, as with the two page spread "And Stravinsky answered, 'As long as it's LOUD!" Stringer employs wonderful sound words like "pounded,""blared," and "bellowed" (though many of these words might be unfamiliar to the intended audience - this would be a perfect opportunity to teach some awesome vocabulary to a young reader).

The illustrations are inspired by paintings from the period by the likes of Matisse and Picasso. They are vibrantly and fluidly move from one page to the next. Fantastic.

The end notes are as fascinating as the book itself.

My only even slight criticism would be the connection between the intended reader and the subject of the book. I am not sure about a young person's interest in the subject. Will the book appeal more to adults? I always struggle with this one. On one hand, the book is a wonderful teaching tool. On the other, I am not sure young readers will be interested. Hmmmm....

Definitely recommended.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A century after the ground-breaking ballet, The Rite of Spring, made its debut in Paris, this picture book describes the creative partnership between composer Igor Stravinsky and dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Daringly, they drew upon Russian folk songs and dances to compose music that the musicians could play by "drumming their feet and beating their drums/ to rollicking chords and rhythms offbeat" (unpaged). The audience members were shocked and rioted in the aisles and streets as modern music and dance were born during that performance. It's hard to imagine how divided the reaction of the audience was, enough to prompt both boos and bravos. The engaging text is filled with delicious phrases that are fun to say as Stravinsky imagines "night drums that rumble and fires that blaze" (unpaged) or how Nijinsky's "torso trumpeted a melody" (unpaged). The color-splashed acrylic illustrations are striking in their depiction of these talented, original artists willing to take risks, and their performers and musicians. Readers will enjoy seeing the dog and cat belonging to the two men that frolic across the pages. Back matter includes information about the ballet's creators, the ballet itself, and photographs as well as information about the artistic tributes hidden within the illustrations.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

100 years after the debut performance of The Rite of Spring and its ensuing riot comes this fabulous picture book by Lauren Stringer, bringing to life this collaboration between two amazing artists. That their work changed the world of music and dance is made clear through bright, vibrant images that were influenced by the work of the likes of Matisse and Picasso, both contemporaries of Stravinsky & Nijinsky.

The text is perfect for reading aloud. Notes at the end list some of the details in the illustrations, and give more information about Stavinsky, Nijinsky and The Rite of Spring.

A ballet that started a riot!...this would be perfect to share with music students, dance students, anyone elementary school age and older. Even preschoolers could appreciate the art and the storyline. I'd be willing to bet many kids who read this -- and adults! -- will want to investigate this ballet further, and may even search out the music for themselves. I know I am.

2 starred reviews (3.16.13) -- Kirkus & Booklist

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The picture book based on fact is becoming more and more common these days - possibly to appeal to educators whose new Common Core standards necessitate making their reading lessons do double duty in another content area. Lauren Stringer's When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky is not the best product I've seen in the genre, but it is solidly good. The use of language is wonderful and does the perfect job of invoking the loud, drum-heavy work of Russian composers, along with the focus on turns and jumps in Russian ballet. The factual content is fairly low in the book's text, and the nonfiction author's note in the back seems written for a different audience than the book itself. Overall, this is a book that will appeal to children, but they may need knowledge of orchestra and/or ballet in order to get the most out of it - and I'm not sure the author's note is the right place for them to get that knowledge.

[Clare Rossetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great picture book introduction to two creative men, one a dancer and one a composer. Ms. Stringer does a great job of using words to create both the images and sounds of the ballet and the orchestra. She is particularly good at showing how the two influenced each other. "When Nijinsky met Stravinsky, his dance began to change, his torso trumpeted a melody... and his feet began to pom-di-di-pom like timpani." "Then Stravinsky met Nijinsky and his music began to change, his piano pirouetted a puppet..." There was a real connection for this reader. I grew up in Minnesota in the halls of the St. Paul Chamber orchestra as my sister was an excellent flutist and my cousin a ballerina and so for me it was a walk down memory lane, this made it a joy to read.
Even without this connection the teacher can build background knowledge by playing the music and video clips of the ballet," The Rite of Spring".

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nijinsky, the dance choreographer, and Stravinsky, the music composer came together to collaborate on a production which received mixed reviews and may have sparked a riot. The title page has a clever opening of the curtain, and from there we see people at work, what they produce and what inspires them. This book has large painted illustrations of varying sizes, and hints of the old and the new. A two page opening in the middle of the book offers a peek at the audience, orchestra, and the stage dancers. The next page shows a perspective from further back in the audience, with a bird's eye view of the stage with audience members showing mixed reactions.In the back there are bios on both Stravinsky and Nijinsky, more information about their joint production and a note about some of the other art that get cameos in this 2014 Children's Notables book.

Pair this book with A Ballet for Martha. Discuss the similarities and differences, and the challenges of trying something new.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Igor Stravinsky, the composer, met Vaslav Nijinsky, the dancer, a new kind of art was created. The pair brought to life an unforgettable and controversial performance in The Rite of Spring. It even inspired fistfights in the aisle of the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in 1913! Audiences expected graceful dances and melodious music, but what they got was loud and high bassoon notes and heavy, jumping dancing. The pair was criticized but also admired with its bold challenge of the traditional stage. I enjoyed the "About the Illustrations" note at the end. Lauren Stringer explains that she found inspiration from Cubism, a new art form that took the world by storm in 1907, shortly before Stravinsky and Nijinsky met. The thematic topics of change, reform, artistic expression, and controverial challenges to conventions hold true in all the aspects of Stringer's book.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhythmic text and energetic illustrations describe how composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Vaslav Ninjinsky worked together to create The Rite of Spring, a ballet that revolutionized the world of music and dance when it premiered in 1913.

This is a lovely introduction to early 20th century classical music and ballet, but this book might need a little hand-selling and adult support. The topic is a bit specialized and niche-y, and most young readers won't have enough background knowledge of music and dance to understand why The Rite of Spring was so unique and important. But for kids interested in art, music, and dance, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky has the potential to spark opportunities for critical thinking and discussions of history, innovation, and changing trends.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint about this book is that the subtitle is in such tiny font on the cover and on the title page because it really highlights what the story is about. I suspect that even many adults won't know a lot about this event and it really has an amazing significance. I did love the book! The text is clear and very accessible for children. The wonderful rhythm of the text makes this a great book to read aloud and the sense of their creative collaboration comes through so well. The illustrations are bright and energetic and swirl around the pages. I loved the way the passionate reactions of the audience is portrayed too. A very good author's note provides more information about the event, Stravinsky and Nijinsky and the Rite of Spring itself.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Stravinsky and Nijinsky and the making of The Rite of Spring. It was a different kind of music and a different kind of dance (for a ballet, it was vastly different than Swan Lake). The illustrations include some cubist-style pictures to show how different and disconcerting some found the new ballet.

There's a cute dog and cat on most pages that you can hunt for. Also, look for the animal shapes and instruments from the beginning of the book again at the end.

It would be fun to listen to at least the beginning of the music after reading the book. The book makes a big deal about the bassoon sound in the beginning.

Probably best for kids who like music or dance or art and have some basis to compare the new music/dance/art to.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book that details the collaboration of Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky on the ballet The Rite of Spring which rocked the world of both music and dance and lead to a riot on premiere night.

Text is simple and poetic, which makes it a great read aloud title. Illustrations were rendered in acrylics and incorporate styles that were rising in popularity during the time period in which this book takes place.

Following the story are extensive notes from the author that cover the inspiration as well as the research that went into writing the book. Also included are notes about both subjects and the ballet and a word about the illustrations.

Recommended for grades 1-3.

[Christine Reardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stranger than fiction story about THE transformative moment in 20th century classical music, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky shares the sense of excitement the two artists must have felt about their work. An excellent choice for reading aloud, though preferably not at bed time because young listeners want to pound their fists and stomp their feet after hearing it. The illustrations perfectly capture the frenetic mood of the story, incorporating some cubist techniques and copies of famous paintings by Picasso in a way that young people can easily relate to. This story left the inner city children I work with open to listening to new styles of music and watching ballet.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-researched with excellent readers' notes in the back. Definitely go hand in hand with music!

I met the author/illustrator at a conference. She read the story to us and pointed out the little gems she tucked in the illustrations... many of them mimic art popular at the time; the curtain fabrics are patterned similarly to fabric used in the ballet costumes; in one picture Stravinsky is hanging on to Nijinsky while he stands on a chair, shouting the beat/counts for the dancers because the music couldn't be heard over the roar of the crowd (this actually happened in real life). Such a cool story from history that isn't well-known!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Stravinsky met Nijinsky, it seems that new ideas were born, and they created a new ballet to The Rite of Spring. In the book, the author says they took "Russian folk dances and Russian folk songs, they squared them and flattened them, twisted and cubed them, turning them into something different and new!" And the audience that night at the first performance fought and yelled at each other, some outraged, some enthralled. There is more to this story in the back matter, but it's no surprise that "new" isn't always loved by everyone. The illustrations move over the pages with excitement and color.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when two artistic geniuses work together? A riot, apparently! This is the story of how composer Stravinsky collaborated with dancer Nijinsky to create The Rite of Spring, an entirely new sort of ballet. It would be great for fine arts units (and perfect for a group going to see The Rite of Spring), and it's a great illustration of how collaboration and creativity can have innovative results. Don't overlook it for STEAM programming, is what I'm saying.

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