Bach Suite
Nureyev had been interested in the tradition of Baroque dance since his days at the Kirov School in St Petersburg. The origins of classical ballet lie in the Baroque style, tracing back to the French courts of the 17th century. Baroque dance involves none of the physical strenuousness of ballet, but it does require immense elegance of line and precision of movement, as well as a sharp memory for complex steps. Nureyev was thrilled by the prospect of exploring the choreographic possibilities of this style, which is also known as ‘la belle danse’.
He created Bach Suite in partnership with the choreographer Francine Lancelot, a leading historian in the field of Baroque dance whose work he greatly admired. Lancelot was one of many choreographers and teachers he invited to work with the company over his six years at the Paris Opéra. He initially contacted Lancelot to ask her to choreograph a solo work for him, set to Bach’s Suite No.3 in C Major for Cello. This proposal eventually led to their collaboration on Bach Suite. Although Baroque dance was not historically set to Bach, Nureyev found the choice irresistible. Bach was Nureyev’s favouritecomposer, and he often listened to recordings of his music. He owned many antique keyboards, including a Ruckers harpsichord, a church organ and a travelling piano, and would frequently play Bach’s Inventions.
Bach Suite is a twenty-minute solo composed of six movements, each featuring a different style of dance common to the period: prelude, allemande, courante, sarabande, bourrée, and gigue. Nureyev chose to flavour his interpretation of the sarabande with the modern style of Martha Graham. Lancelot noted that this unusual choice made sense, as performers of Baroque dance had often taken artistic licence with the steps, adding a personal touch to their execution.
The production was a bold stylistic departure for Nureyev. Its choreography features none of the bravura technique or spectacular leaps for which he was famous, although many of the Baroque steps were similar to the fast, complex classical footwork he loved. In a photograph taken by Suzanne Whitehead on 6 June 1984 from Nureyev appears inan elaborate period costume of rich red and gold cloth, with red stockings and low-heeled shoes, designed by Nicholas Georgiadis. Alone on the stage, performing a dance from another time and place, Nureyev’s remarkable presence radiates a commanding energy. Critical reception praised the captivating quality of his precise, symmetrical movements throughout the lengthy solo, highlighting his command of the stage.
Nureyev danced Bach Suite several times in the years following its Paris premiere, both in Europe and America. After he left the Paris Opéra in 1989, Bach Suite ceased to be a part of the company’s repertoire.