Rudolf Nureyev (1938–1993)

During the 60's & the "Cold War" there was a mystique about anyone who defected from Russia, everyone in the West wanted to know about life there so there was great interest when this book arrived, enhanced by the stunning photographs of Richard Avedon - someone else whose work I admired. I did not have to beg my local library in my then little schoolgirl voice to stock it and I was overjoyed for once, finding it displayed in the new books section (I can't remember the date I read this so have listed it read as today), I did however have to get my mother to borrow it for me since it was in the adult section of the library - by that I mean it wasn't in the children's section.
I'm going on memory now as I don't own it, but Nureyev kept politics to a minimum - which might have been a disappointment to some wanting confirmation of a despotic government.

It's main theme is Nureyev's obsession to dance, and his singlemindedness to study ballet and to perform majestically - as he did - his intense individuality & character surely helped pave his way to success. It was unusual at the time for one so young to publish an autobiography, and it may have been to satisfy the public's need for information about Russia for some truth. I remember at that time, sitting in church hearing diatribes against all things communist which by default included anything Russian - so McCarthyism's tenets had most westerners shaking in their boots one way or another. However Nureyev doesn't go there specifically, it's more about himself, his childhood, his craving for personal creative expression and his early life as a dance professional and of course his defection to the west and coming to terms with a different life there. It does become clear why he chose asylum in the west - to seek refuge from the creative conformity he felt in his home country which was the norm then.


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