Uploaded September 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This is film of Rudolph Nureyev, identified in a documentary as dancing at the Kirov in Leningrad in 1957.
However, I and a lot of people commenting think the location and the date are both suspect. In the first place, Nureyev didn't become a soloist with the company till 1958 and he is here performing in a principal role - Siegfried's solo from first act of 'Swan Lake'.
YouTuber Danny makes the point that the solo here evolved over time into the one Nureyev added to the Royal Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’.
In this context, he makes the really interesting observation that:
“I have the idea that de Valois helped him with it. Those tour jetes landing in deep plies have English Ninette training written all over it”
Danny also importantly states:
“This I strongly believe may be from the Cuevas and possibly the SL with Melikova in 1963.”
Summing up, I think is some of the most beautiful and least mannered dancing I’ve seen from the then young Russian dancer.
Enjoy!
This is film of Rudolph Nureyev, identified in a documentary as dancing at the Kirov in Leningrad in 1957.
However, I and a lot of people commenting think the location and the date are both suspect. In the first place, Nureyev didn't become a soloist with the company till 1958 and he is here performing in a principal role - Siegfried's solo from first act of 'Swan Lake'.
YouTuber Danny makes the point that the solo here evolved over time into the one Nureyev added to the Royal Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’.
In this context, he makes the really interesting observation that:
“I have the idea that de Valois helped him with it. Those tour jetes landing in deep plies have English Ninette training written all over it”
Danny also importantly states:
“This I strongly believe may be from the Cuevas and possibly the SL with Melikova in 1963.”
Summing up, I think is some of the most beautiful and least mannered dancing I’ve seen from the then young Russian dancer.
Enjoy!
