Book review

I finished a biography Rudolf Nureyev called "Nureyev: the Life" by Julie Kavanaugh.  Ms. Kavanaugh was given access to archives of the foundations left behind by Nureyev, along with large volumes of personal correspondence from his various friends and associates.  The book is absorbing, and well written.  I could have done without the overt recollections about the very personal parts of his life, but those are not a large part of the book.  Kavanaugh was able to reconstruct large pieces of his life as it unfolded in his birthplace in the old USSR, through his time at the Kirov, his post-defection life in London, his travels all over Europe.  She touched on some of his times in New York, and a little of California, but only briefly mentioned his "farm" in Virginia.

Why does a book about Nureyev interest us?  Because he was a lover of fabrics and textiles, and he brightened up our shop with his presence at both our Watergate and our K Street locations.  Although his temperament lives on in the biography and is some people's memories, I'm happy to say that we saw only his delightful side.  He would make the fabrics dance with joy as he handled them gently to see if they had a certain float-y or drap-y quality that he liked--but he loved stiff, waxy batiks too.

I'm not a balletomane, and Kavanaugh is probably writing to a more learned audience than I on the subject, so I learned a lot from this book.  She communicated his focus and his dedication to ballet (both as a dancer and as a choreographer), his lack of regard for hierarchy at times, and his passion for simple things away from the stage. His (irrational) fear of a return to poverty was an interesting part of his character, as was his attachment to gentle characters and his rage against bureaucracy.   All these traits almost point to a well-rounded individual!

Nureyev's dance transcended dance.  Films exist that convey some of the power and wildness that he brought to dance, but film also catches and preserves imperfections.  It's not very interesting to watch certain ballets on film.  But in short clips, one can see what enthralled audiences and the dance world--his pauses in mid-air during his leaps, his acting chemistry with Dame Margot Fonteyn, his athleticism.  Dame Margot herself looks as if she is suspended from a string.  They certainly were a great pairing.

Here's an early "Giselle" for your enjoyment.  Stay safe during the stormy weekend to come!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucWxfvoIi7E