Rudolf Nureyev
Birth Date 17 Mar 1938
Place of Birth Irkutsk, USSR [now Russia]
Personal Name Rudolf Nureyev
Also known as
- Rudolph Nureyev
- Rudolf Chametowitsch Nurejew
- Rudolf Nurejew
- Rudolf Noureev
- Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев
- Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 1938 – 6 January 1993) was a Tatar dancer from the former Soviet Union, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.
He defected to the West, despite KGB efforts to stop him. According to KGB archives studied by Peter Watson, Nikita Khrushchev personally signed an order to have Nureyev killed
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