Raising the Barre

Whatever happened to the young rebel geniuses? There are plenty of bad boys and girls in the limelight these days, but true risk-takers and iconoclasts seem in short supply. Fortunately, we can always look to the past. Much as last year’s The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris brought to light the ruthless hedonism of two late 20th-century visionaries, Julie Kavanagh's new biography Nureyev: The Life celebrates one of the most electrifying ballet dancers of all time.

Rudolf Nureyev’s animal power, talent and arrogance made him a rock star of ballet, inspiring a “dance boom” in the 60’s. His work influenced ballet technique, other dancers’ careers (Margot Fonteyn had been ready to retire until she danced with him; then she became his partner for ten years), even the preferred physique for male dancers—long, lean and graceful like we see today, instead of the more masculine look of the Russian dancers before him.

Nureyev's life contained more drama than any stage show, including his sensational defection from the Soviet Union, his notorious sex life and his death from HIV amidst a career reinvention as a musical conductor. Toss in dish on his rival Mikhail Baryshnikov and his pals Jackie Kennedy and Mick Jagger, and you've got a captivating tale of passion and tragedy.

Nureyev: The Life is available October 2 from Pantheon Books .

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