Rudolf Nureyev

Born Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev on 17 March 1938, on a Trans-Siberian train near Lake Baikal, he trained in Leningrad and joined the Kirov Ballet. In 1961, while that company was in Paris, he sought asylum in the West rather than return to the Soviet Union. He became a star of The Royal Ballet in London and, from 1983 to 1989, directed the Paris Opera Ballet, staging his own versions of the classical repertory, including Swan Lake, Giselle and La Bayadère. He died in France on 6 January 1993.

He appointed David Coleman Musical Director of his own company, Nureyev and Friends. They had a long working partnership: David travelled with him, conducted most of the London Nureyev Festivals, premiered several of his major choreographies, and recorded the music for several of his films, among them the Elstree Giselle, in which he danced Albrecht. The 1984 ITV documentary Music Man of Kent includes that film and conversations from his dressing room at the London Coliseum during Festival rehearsals, where he speaks of David’s understanding of dance and of how often the outcome of a performance rests with the conductor. David remains a noted exponent of those productions.