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Rudolf Nureyev: A Lifetime of Dance
"In all my life, there has just been one
love—dancing. I couldn't live without dance. When you
watch me dance, you see [the] real me."
–Rudolf
Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) reinvented the role of the male
in ballet. In traditional ballets, the male dancer was secondary
to the ballerina. His job was primarily to lift the ballerina
and support her balance without drawing attention to himself.
Breaking with tradition, Nureyev danced with impressive
athletic power and gained prominence for the male dancer
at least equal to that of the ballerina.
Growing Up with a Passion
Rudolf Nureyev grew up in extreme poverty in a remote region
of the Soviet Union. At age seven, Nureyev hid in the balcony
of a theater to see his first ballet performance. Afterwards,
Nureyev knew he must become a dancer. Nureyev's father,
however, wanted his son to study engineering or medicine
and did everything to prevent the boy from achieving his
dream.
Despite his father's protests, Nureyev learned Russian
folk dance at school. When he was eleven years old, Nureyev
snuck out of his home to take twice-weekly ballet lessons
free from a ballerina who recognized his talent. His dream
was to study at Leningrad's world-famous ballet school.
Nureyev had the daring to write the school requesting an
audition and scholarship. While waiting for a response,
Nureyev performed in a folk dance company that traveled
the region. At age 17, Nureyev was accepted at the Leningrad
Ballet School and started his intensive training, when most
dancers are almost finished training.
At school, Nureyev broke rules he considered unimportant
and challenged some teachers' authority. His disinterest
in Communism
led to suspicions about his patriotism. Despite Nureyev's
unwillingness to conform, his talents as a dancer were recognized
at both his graduation performance and a prestigious Moscow
ballet competition.
Performing with Russia's Kirov Ballet
After graduation, Nureyev joined the world-renowned Kirov
Ballet. He danced leading roles, bypassing the normal sequence
of lesser roles for beginning dancers. In 1961, the Kirov
ballet traveled to Europe to perform. Concerned about Nureyev's
overly-friendly attitude toward people in non-Communist
countries, the Soviet government sent secret police to follow
Nureyev.
Defection and the Western Career
In Paris, Nureyev's dancing won him superstar status. Breaking
company rules, Nureyev toured the city on his own, making
friends. As a result, Nureyev was prevented from boarding
the plane to London with the rest of the Kirov company.
Told that he must return to the Soviet Union, Nureyev realized
that would probably mean imprisonment. Nureyev daringly
escaped his Soviet guards and defected. Nureyev's
defection made international headlines; he was a hero
in the non-Communist world but an embarrassing traitor in
his homeland. The Soviets charged Nureyev with crimes against
the government (treason) and sentenced him to seven years
in jail.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Nureyev danced with the British
Royal Ballet where he partnered with ballerina Margot
Fonteyn. He was also an international guest artist,
appearing with companies around the world.
Expanding the Repertory
Always adventurous, Nureyev expanded his dancing style,
performing with American modern dance companies. From the
mid-1970s to the 1980s, he organized performances called
"Nureyev and Friends" which featured a wide variety
of choreography. He worked as director of and principal
choreographer for the Paris Opéra Ballet from 1983-89.
In 1989, 28 years after his defection, the Soviet authorities
invited Nureyev to return home to perform with the Kirov
Ballet. At his performance, he received 20 curtain calls—a
hero's welcome.
Rudolf Nureyev died in 1993. In 1998, the Russian government
cleared Nureyev of all previous charges.
Credit: This biography is part of the Capturing
Nureyev Cuesheet, a product of the Education Department
of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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