Expense has not been spared. The documentary contains video explorations of Nureyev's home city of Ufa in the Central Asian republic of Bashkir, where he began folk dancing classes as a child; the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, where he began serious ballet training at the very late age of 17, and the city's gorgeous old Mariinsky Theatre, where Nureyev danced with the Kirov Ballet for three seasons before defecting to Paris in 1961, at the age of 23.

And there are interviews with friends and colleagues dating back to his initial folk dance forays in Ufa. Some of these people will be familiar to ballet aficionados, either because they are Kirov celebrities or simply becausetheyareintimateswhohave by now spoken either at a Nureyev tribute or to one of his many biographers. This doesn't lessen the pleasure of seeing them speak in their homes about their experiences with Nureyev 50 years ago.

He is following in the footsteps of the legendary Leonide Massine, providing new choreography to the music of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.

"I sometimes surprise myself by taking on such a huge challenge," he said.

He was commissioned by the company's artistic director, David McAllister, and Pastor says while he appreciated McAllister's vision and courage, it took him a long time to be convinced.

He was "really scared" of Berlioz's music at first, even though he has choreographed to the music of such giants as Mozart, Wagner and Shostakovich.

The company (whose name is the Spanish for "soul, spirit or heart") will debut with the Chicago premiere of "Frankenstein Ballet," with choreography by Lek and Leyva and music by Cuban composer Hector Silveira, who will conduct a 16-piece orchestra. The troupe's 14 dancers will be augmented by international soloists.

The 33-year-old experienced climber, from London, was scaling a rock face at St Govans Head, near Castlemartin, when his gear became detached.

To save himself from landing headfirst, he somersaulted to finish up on all fours, a Coastguard spokeswoman said.

In this case, though, the phase never ended. Sixteen years of dedicated practice, scores of beat-up pointe shoes and a few mountains of carb-loaded pasta later, the 19-year-old is joining the Joffrey Ballet's elite four-year training program. She and her parents are scheduled to fly to New York shortly after 5 a.m. today.

As soon as the Urbandale native settles in to her dorm in Greenwich Village, she'll join about 30 dancers from around the world in the studios. They'll take at least 14 classes every week and rack up at least 900 dancing hours by the end of the year.

In the choreography on view at Wednesday night's performance, the extension of the leg and the pointed foot became a major statement made at a leisurely pace. The dancers are lightly turned out, so that their legs evince a decorative silhouette rather than a foreshortened mass. We see the same familiar ballet steps, but in a much more modest execution. The dancers perform a single pirouette in one smooth swivel.

Before there were pointe shoes, there was relevé, and here the dancers of the Baroque group rose simply onto the balls of their feet. Seeing the women as well as the men standing in relevé, the inevitability of pointe as an expression for women seemed less natural.

New York City Center has announced the program for its fourth annual Fall for Dance festival, running from September 26 through October 6. The ten-day event will feature top-level companies from all around the globe — among them, the New York City and Kirov Ballets, the Paul Taylor and Trisha Brown Dance Companies, American Ballet Theatre and Christopher Wheeldon's new company — performing styles ranging from classical ballet to Indian bharata natyam to South African pantsula to hip-hop to tango.

All tickets are $10.

Ultimately, Nureyev's greatness is framed by well-chosen dance footage that gives a sample of the his obvious brilliance in grand leaps, dizzying turns and stunning technique.


In 90 minutes or so, it is hard to cover all of his early years and influences, but this mighty attempt successfully covers a great deal of terrain with insight and sophistication. Viewers will be able to get a strong understanding of Nureyev's difficult beginnings, his true stamina to grow as a dancer and the consequences of being his friend: After his defection, many were not allowed to travel and hounded by the KGB.

The stage-adapted story tells of two sisters of the Christian faith, Corrie and Betsie ten Boom, their Hebrew neighbors and friends, plus Fraulein "the Snake" and three soldiers.

Fraulein is promoted in the German army and sets out to persecute the Jews - all depicted in dance.

Corrie and Betsie join in prayer and build a small shelter of protection in their home in the first act, which concludes with a dance to celebrate the safety of the Jews.

Inspired by a piece created by Geminal Casado of Karlsruhe Ballet in Germany, Damian and Espejo were successful in uniting two separate choreographies per number, a feat so complex that even two pairs of eyes were not enough to catch each showy and exacting grand jeté, fouetté, chaînés, and tours on air.

Guest artist Bonnie Pickard did well as Rizal’s dulce estranjera, Josephine Bracken (although one wonders if she understood the lyrics of “El Bimbo” in the pas de deux with Gaongen). She also shone in “Double Takes”—her lyrical movements flowing as if she were in water.

His choreography alone would not have won him a place in the history books. Mostly, he created his own versions of revered nineteenth-century classics, choreographing perverse solos for himself, solos made of phrases that twisted the classical vocabulary against its own grain. Purists found this ploy exasperating, but Nureyev was determined to show off his mastery of the difficult and to make the hero of these traditional pieces that favored the ballerina equally important.

He felt compelled to go on performing long after his technique had conspicuously declined and his abilities were finally scuttled by illness. By his last years on stage, he was dancing solely on his charisma and his legend. Yet the general public was still roaring its approval and adoration. Just as at the beginning, people recognized a hero when they saw one.