Rudolf Nureyev

Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (1938 to 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of the twentieth century. He began his career in Leningrad with the company then known as the Kirov Ballet, and in 1961 defected to the West despite KGB efforts to stop him, the first defection of a Soviet artist during the Cold War and an event that created an international sensation. He went on to dance with the Royal Ballet in London and become a global star known for his charisma, technical brilliance and intense stage presence, later directing the Paris Opera Ballet from 1983 to 1989 and producing his own interpretations of classical works including Swan Lake, Giselle and La Bayadere.