For my first book, I chose to read the novel Nureyev by Valeria Crippa and Ralph Fassey. It is a well-written narrative of is life accompanied by absolutely stunning photographs. I learned a lot that I didn't know about him, and now have a totally different view of him. He was born in the Soviet Union in 1938, which wasn't a great time to arrive in. His family (consisting of 4 sisters) fled to live with an uncle in a 129 square foot house. That is so ridiculously small. His father was part of the communist army. His passion for dance started when he was 7 years old, upon seeing the ballet The Song of the Craines. His father was thoroughly displeased with his desire to dance, as he'd hoped his son would become a doctor or engineer. His first teacher in the Soviet Union was Anna Udeltsova, who was at one point part of the infamous Ballet Russes. But he wanted to go further-- he raised his own money to get himself to Leningrad, where he would attend the prestigious Vaganova school at age 17. He improved constantly under the watchful eye of ballet master Pushkin. He toured frequently with the company and was gaining popularity in Europe. In June of 1961, he made a life-changing decision. He defected from the Soviet Union while in Paris. This was a very bold move to make, but one that was good for him. He was performing within days of defecting, as he was a hot ticket item. Combine his history with hidden homosexuality and you get a fierce, intensely dedicated dancer and human being. Later in life, he was infected with AIDS. But nonetheless, Nureyev was an amazing dancer and a rather ridiculous man. Here are several very sassy quotes said by or about Nureyev:
1. "Dealing with him was like managing nitroglycerine"(17)- said by an interviewer turned servant.
2. "[He was] embarrassingly beautiful... he had an entire corps de ballet at his feet" (23)- said by a fellow dancer.
3. "When Nureyev died he left behind a trail of inconsolable widows" (17)- said by a close friend.
4. "Russians are natural dancers; the English have to learn" (36)- said by Nureyev himself.
Nureyev appears to be a very dynamic and talented individual. The quotes that you added at the end of the post really enhanced my image of his a person. I am interested in to see how your paper evolves as you learn more. In the interim, I have a few questions: Was he part of a particular movement in ballet? How do you think growing up in the U.S.S.R. influenced him as a dancer? What made his dance particularly breath-taking or unique?
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