Background
Legat, Nikolai was born on December 27, 1869 in Moscow. Son of Gustav Legat, the Swedish ballet dancer and choreographer.
Legat, Nikolai was born on December 27, 1869 in Moscow. Son of Gustav Legat, the Swedish ballet dancer and choreographer.
Graduated from Petersburg Theatre School, 1888.
Elder brother of the dancer Sergei Legat. Trained first by his father, then by N. Volkov and P. Gerdt. Partner of Anna Pavlova, Mathilde Kschessinska, Tamara Karsavina, and Olga Preobrazhenskaia.
Became famous for his brilliant technique. His only rival was V. Nijinsky. Performed with the Ballets Russes all over Europe.
Choreographer, 1902. From 1910 chief choreographer of the Mariinskii Theatr e(FeiaKukol, 1903, with his brother. Kot v Sapogakh, 1906. Alen’kii Tsvetochek, 1907).
Famous tutor, 1896-1914, at the Petersburg Theatre School. Among his distinguished pupils were A. Pavlova, M. Fokin, T. Karsavina, L. Kiaksht, Bronislava and Vaclav Nijinsky, A. Vaganova, F. Lopukhov. His contract was not renewed by the Mariinskii in 1914.
Gave private lessons and taught at A. Volynskii’s ballet school. Went abroad, 1922. Taught at Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, 1925-1926. In 1923, set up his own ballet school in London, which was run in 1926 by his wife N. Nikolaeva-Legat.
Among his pupils were N. de Valois, A. Markova, M. Fonteyn, and F. Ashton. In 1932, published his memoirs, Story of the Russian School. He and his brother published the album Russkii Balet v Karikaturakh, Petersburg, 1903.