Rudolf Nureyev

Biography

Rudolf Nureyev was a renowned ballet dancer and choreographer born on a Trans-Siberian train near Lake Baikal in 1938 to a Tatar family. He defected to the West from the Soviet Union in 1961, becoming an international sensation and elevating the role of male dancers in ballet with his charisma and technical brilliance. Nureyev went on to dance with The Royal Ballet, direct the Paris Opera Ballet, and produce interpretations of classical works.