Rudolph Nureyev
Rudolph Nureyev, (1938-93). Russian ballet dancer. A member of the Kirov Ballet of Leningrad, Nureyev sought political asylum in the West in 1961. He was soon acclaimed as one of the greatest of 20th-century dancers, being particularly admired for his performances with Dame Margot Fonteyn. He has been credited with reestablishing the importance of the male dancer in classical ballet. Nureyev became an Austrian citizen in 1982 and was director of the Paris Opera Ballet from 1983 to 1989.
