Over 30 years after his death, Rudolf Nureyev’s name remains synonymous with ballet at its zenith. He is still the most famous dancer the world has ever seen.
The first dancer to defect from the Soviet Union, Rudolf Nureyev redefined what it meant to be a dancer in the West, repositioning the male as equal in status to the ballerina. His global celebrity, along with his legendary partnership with Margot Fonteyn, established a mainstream international audience for ballet.
His stagings and interpretations of the 19th century classics – some of them new to the West – breathed new life into the genre. His relentless pursuit of perfection – for himself and the dancers with whom he worked – raised standards and inspired a new generation, reinvigorating some of the world’s great ballet companies.
Rudolf Nureyev died aged just 54, but his legacy lives on. Not just in the memories of those who saw him or through the ballets he created: Rudolf Nureyev’s legacy is his transformative impact on dance and dancers, which still resonates today.
Impact & Influence
Explore Rudolf Nureyev’s life and legacy in these essays by Julie Kavanagh
Nureyev: In His Own Voice
Watch Rudolf Nureyev interviewed about his life and career
Remembering Rudolf
Tributes and memories of Rudolf Nureyev from some of the people he inspired
Nureyev’s Grave
Find out about Rudolf Nureyev's grave in the Russian Cemetery at Ste-Geneviève-des-Bois
