The Real Nureyev: An Intimate Memoir of Ballet's Greatest Hero

By Carolyn Soutar

Book Overview

"The Real Nureyev" is an intensely personal, under-the-skin depiction of ballet's greatest hero. Written by Carolyn Soutar, who worked with Nureyev at the London Coliseum during the 1980s, this biography focuses a six-year period of his life when his career was drawing to a close and this once phenomenal dancer began to call himself "Old Galoshes," in recognition of his fading powers. From his close friends we learn of the changes in Nureyev: from a young man eager to learn, searching for perfection in a body he believed to be flawed, to the knowledgeable and difficult superstar that he would become. Sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, yet always deeply human, "The Real Nureyev" is an intimate insider's story of what the ballet icon was really about.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312340974
• ISBN13: 9780312340971
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.9" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Andromeda

I am drawn to Nureyev because of his love of dance. He loves every part of it and draws you into his exciting world. He may have been a difficult person, but he was passionate about what he did. I enjoy reading about his life and what movitated his art.

Seems like yesterday...

I loved this book! It brought back memories of sitting in theatres over a period of 25 years being mesmorized by Nureyev. Even after his technical powers were in decline, there was still that energy. Those of us that were there will never forget the feeling we had when he walked onto the stage. Thank you Carolyn for bringing it all back...How lucky we were to have been a part of it. N.G.

Backstage and onstage magic with Nureyev

This book to me on a marvellous journey of discovery. Always enamoured with the theatre and having seen Nureyev perform years ago, this book opened up the world of backstage life and truly the Real Nureyev to me. The descriptions of backstage life were page-turning and to learn first hand about this amazing Icon of the 20th century was very precious.