Pros: A great time capsule that discusses a career from beginning to end.
Cons: If you are not familiar with ballet, you may be lost in some spots.
The Bottom Line: The best biography of the famous ballet dancer. If you are interested in dance, this book will take you on the life journey of one of the best.
Jaynrand's Full Review: Julie Kavanagh - Nureyev: The Life
At certain times in history, one person comes along who changes the world's perception about a subject. Such a person is so persuasive and pervasive that his influence expands beyond his area of fame or expertise. One such man was Rudolf Nureyev, a Russian ballet dancer who first burst upon the world scene in the early 1960's.
Nureyev found escape from his poor childhood in his talent for the ballet. Teachers found him a raw talent and he worked hard and advanced quickly. He did this through a combination of this talent and personal relationships with those in charge of his education.
Politics in Russia reached into every area of life, including the Russian Ballet. Rudolf took the advice of some friends, and in 1962 in Paris he sought asylum. It is a dramatic story that is told in detail in Julie Kavanagh's biography titled simply Nureyev. He left behind lovers of both sexes, most of whom he never saw again.
His work with the famous ballet companies in Paris, London, New York, and others around the world are written about in detail. Even the casual fan will recognize the names. The feuds with choreographers and fellow dancers are discussed in detail. His famous quarrel with Natalia Makarova is typical of Nureyev's impatience with fellow artists he deemed "lazy" or "unwilling to learn."
Once he was ensconced in the "decadent" West, Rudolf became the face of ballet, for better or worse. There are still DVD's for sale that document Nureyev's most famous partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn. Their partnering is still thrilling to see. He and Fonteyn began the "star" system in ballet that sort of thrives today - or would if there were any stars. Without Nureyev, the stardom of Mikhail Barishnikov (a dancer of completely different temperament and sexual persuasion) might not have been possible.
Nureyev's most serious lover was the Danish ballet star Erik Bruhn. Their relationship is detailed in several chapters of this biography. Also among the pages are the many male lovers that Nureyev had during the rest of his life. Some stayed for a long time, others stayed for just a few minutes. He is said to have enjoyed anonymous sexual encounters with men, even after he was diagnosed with the AIDS virus.
Names are dropped, reputations enhanced or damaged, and Nureyev's impact on the world, not just the world of ballet, are presented in detail and with authority in this, the book that answers any question you may have about Rudolf Nureyev. Well written and with many black and white photographs, Nureyev is like a time capsule.
Yes, any question that you may have. What sexual position did Nureyev enjoy? At a certain age, it changed. That is how intimate this biography is.
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