In 1922 Nadine Nicolaeva was granted six
months sick leave Nicolai was allowed to accompany her abroad.
They never returned. Settling in London, Nicolai created a
ballet for the Palladium, which he called The Moscow Arts
Ballet, and started his own school of ballet in Fitzroy Square.
In 1925 Sergei Diaghilev engaged him as ballet master to
replace Enrico Cecchetti, who had returned to Milan after a
tiff with the Impresario. He abandoned a flourishing school to
tour with Diaghilev’s Ballet to Berlin and Monte Carlo
but found the company in disarray and the repertoire too modern
for his taste. Nadine who joined with him as soloist, was soon
dissatisfied with her parts and Nicolai did not enjoy teaching
dancers from many schools, most of whom did not understand the
artistry and epaulement of his class. After a brief spell he
left Diaghilev without regrets.
For a while, he tried to teach in Paris,
but, encountering obstruction from some established teachers
and facing penury, he eventually returned to London in 1930.
Here he established his school of ballet at
46 Colet Gardens and made some choreographies for the Camargo
Society. The school became a Mecca for émigré
Russians and leading dancers from all over the world. During
those last years, he influenced some out standing young English
male dancers, including Anton Dolin, Harold Turner, Michael
Soames, Alan Carter, Stanley Judson and Jack Spurgon. Among the
Female dancers were Ruth French, Phyllis Bedells, Nanette de
Valois, Alicia Markova, Margot Fonteyn, Pearl Aryle, Mary
Honer, June Brae, Wendy Toye, Barbara Vernon, Joy Camden, Moira
Shearer and many more. During the last years, he became a sad
old man who had strayed from his destined course and was
lovesick for his homeland. He smoked a lot, swore in Russian
(he never learned English) and made caricatures of his pupils.
He never betrayed his sadness in public and taught divinely to
the end.
He was deeply loved and revered by all,
though his tongue could be very sharp. He sweetened all by his
brilliant wit and the gentleness of his personality; a
nostalgic clown who talked gibberish and mimed like a monkey,
but whose class was impeccable.
John Gregory
