Poco después de que el Ejército Rojo hubiera derrotado al nazismo, Nureyev saltó desde la Rusia soviética a París y al Nueva York de posguerra de Andy Warhol. Un salto vertiginoso. Nureyev fue famoso no sólo por sus actuaciones en el escenario sino también por sus bufonadas de mestizo internacional, una fuerza social, un símbolo, un enigma. Su paso dejó una estela por la que parecía fluir el siglo XX, de la pobreza al exceso, del comunismo al capitalismo, del exilio a la fama.

Dancer is historical fiction based on the life of Rudolf Nureyev. The events covered in the novel are true to the facts, however, some of the supporting characters were combined or fictionalized. The author provides a full portrait of one of the most accomplished ballet dancers in history, from his early years in Russia to his defection to his life in various cities afterwards, along with the decline that led to an early death from AIDS. It shows Nureyev's love of dance, his discipline and his pursuit of perfection. It conveys his impatience, volatility and impulsivity, along with his loyalty and generosity. This book contains a number of narrative perspectives and one stream-of- consciousness chapter. It's not for children or those uncomfortable with descriptions of the gay scene in the 1980s. ( )

This is a fictionalized life of the famous Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Read this simply because it is written by Colm McCann but must admit this is my least favorite of his. Told in much the same fashion as his other books, the reader gradually gets to know the background, the character, and the friends of Nureyev.

Born in a peasant village of Tarter parents, Nureyev exhibited talent at a very young age and was fortunate to come in contact with a exiled Russian ballerina who taught him the basics. From there he went to Kiev where he made a name for himself. It was to a trip of the Russian Ballet to Paris that he defected. This caused his family a huge amount of trouble and disgrace.

He went on to become perhaps the most outstanding dancer of his time seemingly being able to hold himself in the air during his leaps. He found a soul-partner in Margot Fontaine even though she was 20 years older. His personal life, however, was a total mess involving many who surrounded him only for his fame.

There were parts of this story that I truly enjoyed; other parts that I almost skipped. A long "stream of consciousness" chapter with Victor, his lover as the main focus left me totally cold. The book was interesting enough that I read and watched several videos of Nureyev. There are parts of the books that are beautifully written especially the final chapters when he is allowed to visit for 48 hours back to his home town to see his mother and sister. ( )

The Victor chapter was the slog for me, though I loved the similar one-long-sentence effect when it was applied in the Tom Ashcroft chapter earlier about making ballet shoes. The final paragraph was a knife to the gut. ( )

This book was so good! I loved every minute of it. It tells the story of the man who is arguably the best male classical ballet dancer in history - Rudolf Nureyev. Rudolf was born in 1938 in Ula, Russia. The Second World War was just beginning, and Rudolf's father who was a Communist party member, was instructing soldiers to fight on the Russian front. Rudolf was born on a train near Irktisk, Siberia. His mother Farida fleeing to Ula when he arrived in the world. He lived his early life in poverty, but his mother instilled in the young Rudyk a love of ballet and dance. In spite of all the odds against him, Rudyk received training from a retired prima ballerina who lived in the town. Rudolf lived for dancing and read and practiced every-time he could. Against all odds, he was accepted into the Kurov school of classical ballet and trained under the great Pushkin. He made his way up quickly in the corp until he was soon dancing solos and main parts. His ballet took him around the world until 1961, when he defected to France. From there we see Nureyev's career as he packs halls all around the world. These are the bones of his life, but this book, with its unique narrative changes, describes so much more about his life. We see Rudolf through the eyes of his family, Through the eyes of his many different mentors, as well as through his many friends, partners and staff. This form of building narrative gives different viewpoints of the Rudolf's rise to fame and fortune. Mr. McCann's narrative style is immersive and unyielding We see Rudolf through the many highs and lows of his life, and the price he paid with the loss of his family and home in his pursuit of the dance. I waited to watch him dance until I had finished the book, and I was totally impressed with his skill and dedication to his art. To Rudolf, dance was everything, and his only reason for living. The book takes us to 1987 and in that year Rudolf has come full circle. He has been a fugitive from Russian justice for over 20 years, but a 48 hour leave is granted for him to enter Russia to see his dying mother. He comes back full circle to his childhood life, and manages to see his family and the family of his early mentor before he has to go back to England. He is already under the influence of the disease that eventually kills him. He dies in Paris, France in 1993 of complications from Aids. This is a book to fall down into and to wallow in once you're reading it. McCann is an incredible writer and I need to read more of his fabulous work. ( )