Dance director at the Paris Opera Theatre.
1983 - NUREYEV AT THE OPERA THEATRE IN PARIS
Rudolf Nureyev, appointed by the Minister of Culture Jack Lang, took over as director of the Paris Opera Ballet in 1983. Nureyev, the Director, worked on extending the repertoire of the Ballet. He enriched earlier periods with revivals of the Baroque, pre-romantic era, and expanded later periods with orders for the "Young Turks" of contemporary ballet.
He improved working conditions for the dancers by having new studios built. He shook up the corps de ballet hierarchy by casting promising young dancers from the Company in soloist roles, and appointing five, twenty year old, principal dancers.
Rudolf Nureyev took the prestige of the Paris Opera onto international stages. He led the troupe to the United States for three years running in 1986, 1987, and 1988, after a French absence of more than thirty years. He had them take part in festivals in Venice, Vienna, and Athens as well as the Festival in Avignon. And above all, he maintained the company at its highest level. J.L.B
LA BAYADERE, ALPHA AND OMEGA OF HIS DESTINY
Nureyev, whose name means "ray of light", was indeed this luminous beacon guiding the youngest dancers, this imperious leading light sweeping across classical and modern choreographic repertoires, this persistent flame burning and being consumed with passion for ballet.Rudolf Nureyev was first revealed to the world of ballet lovers, one May evening in 1961 at the Paris Opera.
Appearing in the role of Solor in the "Kingdom of the Shades" scene which was being performed for the first time in Western Europe, he materialized, in his haughty purity, like a young god, brilliantly combining cat-like sensuality with incredible stylistic beauty. It was on the same stage of the Palais Garnier, more than thirty years later in October 1992 that, coming full circle, he finally presented his production of La Bayadère.
Between the beginning and the end of his destiny, he lived an exemplary trajectory sought after since childhood, experiencing a dazzling rise to fame and a long sojourn amongst the stars. J.L.B
Works in the repertoire
| LA BAYADERE ACT III | 3 october 1974 | After Petipa |
| MANFRED | 20 november 1979 | Original choreography |
| DON QUIXOTE | 6 march 1981 | After Petipa |
| RAYMONDA | 5 november 1983 | After Petipa |
| THE SWAN LAKE | 20 december 1984 | After Sergueev and Bourmeister |
| ROMEO AND JULIET | 19 october 1984 | Original choreography |
| THE TEMPEST | 9 march 1984 | Original choreography |
| BACH SUITE | 16 april 1984 | Avec Francine Lancelot |
| THE NUTCRACKER | 20 december 1985 | After Petipa |
| WASHINGTON SQUARE | 25 june 1985 | Original choreography |
| CINDERELLA | 24 october 1986 | Original choreography |
| SLEEPING BEAUTY | 18 mach 1989 | After Petipa |
| LA BAYADERE | 8 october 1992 | After Petipa |
LA BAYADÈRE RAYMONDA SWAN LAKE THE SLEEPING BEAUTY DON QUIXOTE TANCREDI THE NUTCRACKER ROMEO AND JULIET MANFRED LA TEMPETE BACH SUITE WASHINGTON SQUARE CINDERELLA LA BAYADÈRE 1992
DON QUIXOTE GISELLE LA BAYADÈRE THE SLEEPING BEAUTY RAYMONDA THE SWAN LAKE NUTCRACKER LA SYLPHIDE ROMEO AND JULIET APOLLON MANFRED SONG OF A WAYFARER MARGUERITE AND ARMAND THE YOUNG MAN AND DEATH LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE LES SYLPHIDES PETRUSCHKA LE CORSAIRE PIERROT LUNAIRE
TIMELINE INTRODUCTION CHILDHOOD IN RUSSIA KIROV PERIOD 1961 ESCAPE TO THE WEST MARGOT FONTEYN CAREER IN THE WEST NUREYEV CHOREOGRAPHER PARIS OPERA LAST YEARS DANCE PARTNERS ARTISTIC INFLUENCE DANCE DIRECTOR PARIS OPERA ACTOR AND ARTIST RUDOLF NUREYEV'S GRAVE CNCS - STAGE COSTUMES
