Ballet dancer. Born Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev on a Trans-Siberian train near Irkutsk, Siberia, while his mother was travelling to Vladivostok. In 1958, he joined the Kirov (later renamed as Mariinsky) Ballet and was immediately given solo roles.
In 1961, whilst performing in Paris he applied for asylum. In London he was offered a contract with the Royal Ballet, where he started his enduring partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn. In 1983, he was appointed director of the Paris Opera Ballet.
He tested positive for HIV in 1984, but for years denied that anything was wrong. His health eventually declined and he died in the hospital of Notre Dame du Perpétuel Secours in Levallois-Perret, France.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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