An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

picturebook for adults, 25 Jul 2008
The reviews were good but I was disappointed by this book. There were lots of glossy photos but many were of DB at society parties and charitable functions which may or may not have been ballet related. In 176 pages there were about 25 pages of type. I wanted to know about DB herself and her life in and out of dancing. More pictures of her dancing not in performance or costume, but in the rehearsal rooms, or practising at the barre would have been more realistic. She does not come across as a glossy airhead so this presents a false picture of her I think. Her dancing was a phenomenon and I think there should have been more dancing pictures showing the hard graft as well as the pretty side of things.

A gem of a book, 15 Dec 2007
I enjoyed re-living so many Darcey evenings at Covent Garden through this fabulously illustrated book with a knowledgeable text that brings to life so many of her career highlights.
Some 150 pages of photos illustrate her most famous partners, many of her most famous roles and some of the choreographers who have influenced her during her long career. An affectionate 176-page tribute that's sure to inspire all who enjoy classical ballet.


A great book about a great dancer, 15 Dec 2007
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever seen Darcey dance. It follows her career and personal highlights through a stunning selection of photos that show her `on' and `off ' duty. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and they include each of her main partners. The accompanying text follows her determination to succeed from an early age - and how we nearly lost her to America. A fascinating `must read'. Clive Burton clearly knows and loves his subject and I shall be looking for more books from this talented writer whose lightness of touch with his words echoes the grace and elegance that Darcey brought to her roles.

Dance, dance, dance little lady..., 14 Dec 2007
This elegant, lavishly illustrated volume delivers exactly what it promises on its cover, celebrating the career of one of the greatest ballerinas of the modern age. The lively, engaging text which accompanies a sumptuous array of stunning photographic images charts her career and provides fascinating insights into how and why Bussell has remained unquestionably 'en pointe' within the world of dance. It is a story vividly told by a writer and critic who has followed Bussell's performances from her debut in 'Prince of the Pagoda's to her final appearance in 'Song of the Earth'. The resulting combination of text and pictures provides a beautiful and lasting tribute to a great star.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

picturebook for adults, 25 Jul 2008
The reviews were good but I was disappointed by this book. There were lots of glossy photos but many were of DB at society parties and charitable functions which may or may not have been ballet related. In 176 pages there were about 25 pages of type. I wanted to know about DB herself and her life in and out of dancing. More pictures of her dancing not in performance or costume, but in the rehearsal rooms, or practising at the barre would have been more realistic. She does not come across as a glossy airhead so this presents a false picture of her I think. Her dancing was a phenomenon and I think there should have been more dancing pictures showing the hard graft as well as the pretty side of things.

A gem of a book, 15 Dec 2007
I enjoyed re-living so many Darcey evenings at Covent Garden through this fabulously illustrated book with a knowledgeable text that brings to life so many of her career highlights.
Some 150 pages of photos illustrate her most famous partners, many of her most famous roles and some of the choreographers who have influenced her during her long career. An affectionate 176-page tribute that's sure to inspire all who enjoy classical ballet.


A great book about a great dancer, 15 Dec 2007
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever seen Darcey dance. It follows her career and personal highlights through a stunning selection of photos that show her `on' and `off ' duty. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and they include each of her main partners. The accompanying text follows her determination to succeed from an early age - and how we nearly lost her to America. A fascinating `must read'. Clive Burton clearly knows and loves his subject and I shall be looking for more books from this talented writer whose lightness of touch with his words echoes the grace and elegance that Darcey brought to her roles.

Dance, dance, dance little lady..., 14 Dec 2007
This elegant, lavishly illustrated volume delivers exactly what it promises on its cover, celebrating the career of one of the greatest ballerinas of the modern age. The lively, engaging text which accompanies a sumptuous array of stunning photographic images charts her career and provides fascinating insights into how and why Bussell has remained unquestionably 'en pointe' within the world of dance. It is a story vividly told by a writer and critic who has followed Bussell's performances from her debut in 'Prince of the Pagoda's to her final appearance in 'Song of the Earth'. The resulting combination of text and pictures provides a beautiful and lasting tribute to a great star.

"Mao's Last Dancer" Inspiration for the heart., 04 Jan 2004
Being the first biography I have ever read...I was unsure on how I would adapt to the texture of the piece. Raised on Edith Blyton and later fed tales of love and war by ultimate classics like Ludlum and Grisham, "Mao's last dancer" did something that previously I have never really found in books. Sure it would be great to be a walking talking James Bond, or to fulfil my destiny to rid middle earth of 'the ring to rule them all' but in my head they are just dreams. Li Cunxins dreams seemed so impossible, and yet against all odds he became a successor. Living now in a world many light years away from the then China, its almost incomprehensible to me, but yet his story has enlightened the way I see things, and the way I will continue to see things.

From the Chinese prophecies to the details of Cunxin's 'dia' and 'niang', every aspect seem to carry about a balance that draws you in deeper to his life. By the third chapter I was completely hooked and continued reading on and on into the night, until before I knew it, I had finished the book in only one day.

I felt like I was there with him on the entire journey, page to page; and as in any book, this is an important factor. I would like to thank Li Cunxin and those who made it possible for me to feel part of such a wonderfully colourful, yet sometimes dark, life embrace.

I would recommend this book to people of all ages, as I am but 16 and found it inspiring to the heart. 5 out of 5 Stars.

By Bianca Newman

An honest rendition of a remarkable journey, 31 Dec 2003
I hardly ever read books, so for me the propsect of sitting down to read a biography of a ballet dancer was daunting. I have to say though, Li's story is amazing, not so much for the journey from physical and poilitical hardship to all the west has to offer, but more for the resolve a small boy had to muster in order to find his way out of the well.

I liked the manner in which the story is told, open, honest and without pretention. It held me from cover to cover. A great read.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

picturebook for adults, 25 Jul 2008
The reviews were good but I was disappointed by this book. There were lots of glossy photos but many were of DB at society parties and charitable functions which may or may not have been ballet related. In 176 pages there were about 25 pages of type. I wanted to know about DB herself and her life in and out of dancing. More pictures of her dancing not in performance or costume, but in the rehearsal rooms, or practising at the barre would have been more realistic. She does not come across as a glossy airhead so this presents a false picture of her I think. Her dancing was a phenomenon and I think there should have been more dancing pictures showing the hard graft as well as the pretty side of things.

A gem of a book, 15 Dec 2007
I enjoyed re-living so many Darcey evenings at Covent Garden through this fabulously illustrated book with a knowledgeable text that brings to life so many of her career highlights.
Some 150 pages of photos illustrate her most famous partners, many of her most famous roles and some of the choreographers who have influenced her during her long career. An affectionate 176-page tribute that's sure to inspire all who enjoy classical ballet.


A great book about a great dancer, 15 Dec 2007
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever seen Darcey dance. It follows her career and personal highlights through a stunning selection of photos that show her `on' and `off ' duty. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and they include each of her main partners. The accompanying text follows her determination to succeed from an early age - and how we nearly lost her to America. A fascinating `must read'. Clive Burton clearly knows and loves his subject and I shall be looking for more books from this talented writer whose lightness of touch with his words echoes the grace and elegance that Darcey brought to her roles.

Dance, dance, dance little lady..., 14 Dec 2007
This elegant, lavishly illustrated volume delivers exactly what it promises on its cover, celebrating the career of one of the greatest ballerinas of the modern age. The lively, engaging text which accompanies a sumptuous array of stunning photographic images charts her career and provides fascinating insights into how and why Bussell has remained unquestionably 'en pointe' within the world of dance. It is a story vividly told by a writer and critic who has followed Bussell's performances from her debut in 'Prince of the Pagoda's to her final appearance in 'Song of the Earth'. The resulting combination of text and pictures provides a beautiful and lasting tribute to a great star.

"Mao's Last Dancer" Inspiration for the heart., 04 Jan 2004
Being the first biography I have ever read...I was unsure on how I would adapt to the texture of the piece. Raised on Edith Blyton and later fed tales of love and war by ultimate classics like Ludlum and Grisham, "Mao's last dancer" did something that previously I have never really found in books. Sure it would be great to be a walking talking James Bond, or to fulfil my destiny to rid middle earth of 'the ring to rule them all' but in my head they are just dreams. Li Cunxins dreams seemed so impossible, and yet against all odds he became a successor. Living now in a world many light years away from the then China, its almost incomprehensible to me, but yet his story has enlightened the way I see things, and the way I will continue to see things.

From the Chinese prophecies to the details of Cunxin's 'dia' and 'niang', every aspect seem to carry about a balance that draws you in deeper to his life. By the third chapter I was completely hooked and continued reading on and on into the night, until before I knew it, I had finished the book in only one day.

I felt like I was there with him on the entire journey, page to page; and as in any book, this is an important factor. I would like to thank Li Cunxin and those who made it possible for me to feel part of such a wonderfully colourful, yet sometimes dark, life embrace.

I would recommend this book to people of all ages, as I am but 16 and found it inspiring to the heart. 5 out of 5 Stars.

By Bianca Newman

An honest rendition of a remarkable journey, 31 Dec 2003
I hardly ever read books, so for me the propsect of sitting down to read a biography of a ballet dancer was daunting. I have to say though, Li's story is amazing, not so much for the journey from physical and poilitical hardship to all the west has to offer, but more for the resolve a small boy had to muster in order to find his way out of the well.

I liked the manner in which the story is told, open, honest and without pretention. It held me from cover to cover. A great read.

A charismatic well written journey, 08 Nov 2007
A genuine and well written account of a contemporary fairytale.
Strangely enough, his fate is share by many ordinary people who leave their old world behind.

Really enjoyed this book ..., 22 Oct 2007
This is a very inspiring story for anyone, whether you are a ballet fan or not, from his childhood stories set in Havana to his loneliness & struggles later in life, it is interesting & endearing, I could not put the book down, it is written very well, and I would certainly recommend this book.

Vibrant and dazzling, 03 Oct 2007
Carlos Acosta's memoir is as vibrant and dazzling as his dancing. Telling the story of his incredible journey from breakdancing urchin on the streets of Havana to prince at the Royal Opera House, this is much more than a book about ballet, it is the lyrical and moving tale of a boy's gift, his father's ambition, and the price he pays for fame. With sensual descriptions that evoke the scents and rhythms of Havana, at times, the book feels more like a magical realist novel than an autobiography. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always charming - a totally engrossing read.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

picturebook for adults, 25 Jul 2008
The reviews were good but I was disappointed by this book. There were lots of glossy photos but many were of DB at society parties and charitable functions which may or may not have been ballet related. In 176 pages there were about 25 pages of type. I wanted to know about DB herself and her life in and out of dancing. More pictures of her dancing not in performance or costume, but in the rehearsal rooms, or practising at the barre would have been more realistic. She does not come across as a glossy airhead so this presents a false picture of her I think. Her dancing was a phenomenon and I think there should have been more dancing pictures showing the hard graft as well as the pretty side of things.

A gem of a book, 15 Dec 2007
I enjoyed re-living so many Darcey evenings at Covent Garden through this fabulously illustrated book with a knowledgeable text that brings to life so many of her career highlights.
Some 150 pages of photos illustrate her most famous partners, many of her most famous roles and some of the choreographers who have influenced her during her long career. An affectionate 176-page tribute that's sure to inspire all who enjoy classical ballet.


A great book about a great dancer, 15 Dec 2007
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever seen Darcey dance. It follows her career and personal highlights through a stunning selection of photos that show her `on' and `off ' duty. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and they include each of her main partners. The accompanying text follows her determination to succeed from an early age - and how we nearly lost her to America. A fascinating `must read'. Clive Burton clearly knows and loves his subject and I shall be looking for more books from this talented writer whose lightness of touch with his words echoes the grace and elegance that Darcey brought to her roles.

Dance, dance, dance little lady..., 14 Dec 2007
This elegant, lavishly illustrated volume delivers exactly what it promises on its cover, celebrating the career of one of the greatest ballerinas of the modern age. The lively, engaging text which accompanies a sumptuous array of stunning photographic images charts her career and provides fascinating insights into how and why Bussell has remained unquestionably 'en pointe' within the world of dance. It is a story vividly told by a writer and critic who has followed Bussell's performances from her debut in 'Prince of the Pagoda's to her final appearance in 'Song of the Earth'. The resulting combination of text and pictures provides a beautiful and lasting tribute to a great star.

"Mao's Last Dancer" Inspiration for the heart., 04 Jan 2004
Being the first biography I have ever read...I was unsure on how I would adapt to the texture of the piece. Raised on Edith Blyton and later fed tales of love and war by ultimate classics like Ludlum and Grisham, "Mao's last dancer" did something that previously I have never really found in books. Sure it would be great to be a walking talking James Bond, or to fulfil my destiny to rid middle earth of 'the ring to rule them all' but in my head they are just dreams. Li Cunxins dreams seemed so impossible, and yet against all odds he became a successor. Living now in a world many light years away from the then China, its almost incomprehensible to me, but yet his story has enlightened the way I see things, and the way I will continue to see things.

From the Chinese prophecies to the details of Cunxin's 'dia' and 'niang', every aspect seem to carry about a balance that draws you in deeper to his life. By the third chapter I was completely hooked and continued reading on and on into the night, until before I knew it, I had finished the book in only one day.

I felt like I was there with him on the entire journey, page to page; and as in any book, this is an important factor. I would like to thank Li Cunxin and those who made it possible for me to feel part of such a wonderfully colourful, yet sometimes dark, life embrace.

I would recommend this book to people of all ages, as I am but 16 and found it inspiring to the heart. 5 out of 5 Stars.

By Bianca Newman

An honest rendition of a remarkable journey, 31 Dec 2003
I hardly ever read books, so for me the propsect of sitting down to read a biography of a ballet dancer was daunting. I have to say though, Li's story is amazing, not so much for the journey from physical and poilitical hardship to all the west has to offer, but more for the resolve a small boy had to muster in order to find his way out of the well.

I liked the manner in which the story is told, open, honest and without pretention. It held me from cover to cover. A great read.

A charismatic well written journey, 08 Nov 2007
A genuine and well written account of a contemporary fairytale.
Strangely enough, his fate is share by many ordinary people who leave their old world behind.

Really enjoyed this book ..., 22 Oct 2007
This is a very inspiring story for anyone, whether you are a ballet fan or not, from his childhood stories set in Havana to his loneliness & struggles later in life, it is interesting & endearing, I could not put the book down, it is written very well, and I would certainly recommend this book.

Vibrant and dazzling, 03 Oct 2007
Carlos Acosta's memoir is as vibrant and dazzling as his dancing. Telling the story of his incredible journey from breakdancing urchin on the streets of Havana to prince at the Royal Opera House, this is much more than a book about ballet, it is the lyrical and moving tale of a boy's gift, his father's ambition, and the price he pays for fame. With sensual descriptions that evoke the scents and rhythms of Havana, at times, the book feels more like a magical realist novel than an autobiography. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always charming - a totally engrossing read.

A Close Up of an Icon, 08 Mar 2005
I spent many years going to the Royal Ballet to see Nureyev and Fonteyn dabcee together. Then during the 'downsidse of the ecstasy' at the London Coliseum when Nureyev danced at the Nureyev Festivals.

I have always been atracted to the glamour and myth of backstage life and Carolyn Soutar's book, The Real Nureyev, managed to envelope me and whisk me away to a backstage world where Rudolf Nureyev enchanted and ruled.

The stories and decsriptions of this amazing dancer were wonderful and I so enjoyed the day-to-day routine of life at the London Coliseum.

This book is just the right length and is a real page turner, full of laughs and some incredibly sad moments. When I go to the the theatre in the future, I will think about the routine that Soutar describes and see a whole new world of wonder. If you are a theatre or ballet goer you will enjoy this book.

Not the real Nureyev, 12 Feb 2005
This is the worst book I have ever read about the great Rudolf Nureyev or anyone else for that matter. It shows a complete misunderstanding of the man and of Ballet in general. The interviews used were with just a handful of people and they were weak and gave no insight into this man who was one of the most charismatic men of the 20th Century. Don't waste your money on this book. It is written with an arrogance and captures none of his magic. It is like a teenagers diary. The timeframe of this memoir takes place during saddest part of his life and career and you need to see the bigger picture to understand him. Notice that she had never seen him during the height of his career or spoke to any of his partners from the sixties and seventies. A dreadful book. Even the descriptions of Covent Garden are inaccurate.

A Welcome Blast from the Past, 24 Oct 2004
As a retired professional dancer and alumni member of School of American Ballet in New York City;I was taken back to those magical days when Nureyev would often be just a studio down the corridor, taking class with the late Stanley Williams...Carolyn Soutar has produced a wonderful memoir of a legendary man.I especially enjoyed her attention to detail regarding the scenery and costumes and how life backstage is an absolutely enchanting and revealing experience. This book took me on a nostalgic journey and anyone interested in the life of a dancer; The Real Nureyev will deliver!

Backstage with Nureyev, 25 Aug 2004
In her book, Carolyn Soutar gives us a fascinating look behind the dazzling stage persona of Rudolph Nureyev, one of ballet's greatest stars.
Many people may have been lucky enough to see Nureyev onstage, but few had the chance to see the work that went into each performance or to get to know the man himself. Carolyn Soutar did just that, and here she tells us what it was like to work with Nureyev. Sometimes demanding, unpredictable, impossible and arrogant, sometimes funny, insecure and generous, always dedicated and supremely talented, he eventually came to trust and rely on her. Those who never got to see Nureyev on stage will come to regret their loss as Soutar so clearly describes what a thrilling experience this was, the magic didn't seem to wear off even after she'd watched him night after night.
Through interviews with Nureyev's partner, friends and colleagues Soutar also manages to give us an insight into his personal life - who would have thought that he'd love watching "I Love Lucy"? We also learn about his relationship with his various ballet partners, including of course, Margot Fonteyn.
This book is a riveting glimpse into the world of ballet, and a compelling portrait of one of its most complex characters.

Voyage of discovery, 24 Aug 2004
I am not a balletomane - far from it - but it didn't matter when I started to read "The Real Nureyev" I just couldn't put it down and was irritated by interruptions. It is brilliantly written by his one-time stage manager, with love and a desire to understand the strange Russian who leapt onto her London stage. Carolyn Soutar gives us a pretty complete picture (even, like the Emperor, without his clothes!) His too-early death did not deter her from her search for the real Rudi. She sought acros the world for his lovers, friends and fellow dancers and revived their memories. It is a voyage of discovery, a quest. And it is not necessary to know a pas de deux from a pirouette to enjoy the fun and intrigue of travelling to the end.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

picturebook for adults, 25 Jul 2008
The reviews were good but I was disappointed by this book. There were lots of glossy photos but many were of DB at society parties and charitable functions which may or may not have been ballet related. In 176 pages there were about 25 pages of type. I wanted to know about DB herself and her life in and out of dancing. More pictures of her dancing not in performance or costume, but in the rehearsal rooms, or practising at the barre would have been more realistic. She does not come across as a glossy airhead so this presents a false picture of her I think. Her dancing was a phenomenon and I think there should have been more dancing pictures showing the hard graft as well as the pretty side of things.

A gem of a book, 15 Dec 2007
I enjoyed re-living so many Darcey evenings at Covent Garden through this fabulously illustrated book with a knowledgeable text that brings to life so many of her career highlights.
Some 150 pages of photos illustrate her most famous partners, many of her most famous roles and some of the choreographers who have influenced her during her long career. An affectionate 176-page tribute that's sure to inspire all who enjoy classical ballet.


A great book about a great dancer, 15 Dec 2007
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever seen Darcey dance. It follows her career and personal highlights through a stunning selection of photos that show her `on' and `off ' duty. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and they include each of her main partners. The accompanying text follows her determination to succeed from an early age - and how we nearly lost her to America. A fascinating `must read'. Clive Burton clearly knows and loves his subject and I shall be looking for more books from this talented writer whose lightness of touch with his words echoes the grace and elegance that Darcey brought to her roles.

Dance, dance, dance little lady..., 14 Dec 2007
This elegant, lavishly illustrated volume delivers exactly what it promises on its cover, celebrating the career of one of the greatest ballerinas of the modern age. The lively, engaging text which accompanies a sumptuous array of stunning photographic images charts her career and provides fascinating insights into how and why Bussell has remained unquestionably 'en pointe' within the world of dance. It is a story vividly told by a writer and critic who has followed Bussell's performances from her debut in 'Prince of the Pagoda's to her final appearance in 'Song of the Earth'. The resulting combination of text and pictures provides a beautiful and lasting tribute to a great star.

"Mao's Last Dancer" Inspiration for the heart., 04 Jan 2004
Being the first biography I have ever read...I was unsure on how I would adapt to the texture of the piece. Raised on Edith Blyton and later fed tales of love and war by ultimate classics like Ludlum and Grisham, "Mao's last dancer" did something that previously I have never really found in books. Sure it would be great to be a walking talking James Bond, or to fulfil my destiny to rid middle earth of 'the ring to rule them all' but in my head they are just dreams. Li Cunxins dreams seemed so impossible, and yet against all odds he became a successor. Living now in a world many light years away from the then China, its almost incomprehensible to me, but yet his story has enlightened the way I see things, and the way I will continue to see things.

From the Chinese prophecies to the details of Cunxin's 'dia' and 'niang', every aspect seem to carry about a balance that draws you in deeper to his life. By the third chapter I was completely hooked and continued reading on and on into the night, until before I knew it, I had finished the book in only one day.

I felt like I was there with him on the entire journey, page to page; and as in any book, this is an important factor. I would like to thank Li Cunxin and those who made it possible for me to feel part of such a wonderfully colourful, yet sometimes dark, life embrace.

I would recommend this book to people of all ages, as I am but 16 and found it inspiring to the heart. 5 out of 5 Stars.

By Bianca Newman

An honest rendition of a remarkable journey, 31 Dec 2003
I hardly ever read books, so for me the propsect of sitting down to read a biography of a ballet dancer was daunting. I have to say though, Li's story is amazing, not so much for the journey from physical and poilitical hardship to all the west has to offer, but more for the resolve a small boy had to muster in order to find his way out of the well.

I liked the manner in which the story is told, open, honest and without pretention. It held me from cover to cover. A great read.

A charismatic well written journey, 08 Nov 2007
A genuine and well written account of a contemporary fairytale.
Strangely enough, his fate is share by many ordinary people who leave their old world behind.

Really enjoyed this book ..., 22 Oct 2007
This is a very inspiring story for anyone, whether you are a ballet fan or not, from his childhood stories set in Havana to his loneliness & struggles later in life, it is interesting & endearing, I could not put the book down, it is written very well, and I would certainly recommend this book.

Vibrant and dazzling, 03 Oct 2007
Carlos Acosta's memoir is as vibrant and dazzling as his dancing. Telling the story of his incredible journey from breakdancing urchin on the streets of Havana to prince at the Royal Opera House, this is much more than a book about ballet, it is the lyrical and moving tale of a boy's gift, his father's ambition, and the price he pays for fame. With sensual descriptions that evoke the scents and rhythms of Havana, at times, the book feels more like a magical realist novel than an autobiography. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always charming - a totally engrossing read.

A Close Up of an Icon, 08 Mar 2005
I spent many years going to the Royal Ballet to see Nureyev and Fonteyn dabcee together. Then during the 'downsidse of the ecstasy' at the London Coliseum when Nureyev danced at the Nureyev Festivals.

I have always been atracted to the glamour and myth of backstage life and Carolyn Soutar's book, The Real Nureyev, managed to envelope me and whisk me away to a backstage world where Rudolf Nureyev enchanted and ruled.

The stories and decsriptions of this amazing dancer were wonderful and I so enjoyed the day-to-day routine of life at the London Coliseum.

This book is just the right length and is a real page turner, full of laughs and some incredibly sad moments. When I go to the the theatre in the future, I will think about the routine that Soutar describes and see a whole new world of wonder. If you are a theatre or ballet goer you will enjoy this book.

Not the real Nureyev, 12 Feb 2005
This is the worst book I have ever read about the great Rudolf Nureyev or anyone else for that matter. It shows a complete misunderstanding of the man and of Ballet in general. The interviews used were with just a handful of people and they were weak and gave no insight into this man who was one of the most charismatic men of the 20th Century. Don't waste your money on this book. It is written with an arrogance and captures none of his magic. It is like a teenagers diary. The timeframe of this memoir takes place during saddest part of his life and career and you need to see the bigger picture to understand him. Notice that she had never seen him during the height of his career or spoke to any of his partners from the sixties and seventies. A dreadful book. Even the descriptions of Covent Garden are inaccurate.

A Welcome Blast from the Past, 24 Oct 2004
As a retired professional dancer and alumni member of School of American Ballet in New York City;I was taken back to those magical days when Nureyev would often be just a studio down the corridor, taking class with the late Stanley Williams...Carolyn Soutar has produced a wonderful memoir of a legendary man.I especially enjoyed her attention to detail regarding the scenery and costumes and how life backstage is an absolutely enchanting and revealing experience. This book took me on a nostalgic journey and anyone interested in the life of a dancer; The Real Nureyev will deliver!

Backstage with Nureyev, 25 Aug 2004
In her book, Carolyn Soutar gives us a fascinating look behind the dazzling stage persona of Rudolph Nureyev, one of ballet's greatest stars.
Many people may have been lucky enough to see Nureyev onstage, but few had the chance to see the work that went into each performance or to get to know the man himself. Carolyn Soutar did just that, and here she tells us what it was like to work with Nureyev. Sometimes demanding, unpredictable, impossible and arrogant, sometimes funny, insecure and generous, always dedicated and supremely talented, he eventually came to trust and rely on her. Those who never got to see Nureyev on stage will come to regret their loss as Soutar so clearly describes what a thrilling experience this was, the magic didn't seem to wear off even after she'd watched him night after night.
Through interviews with Nureyev's partner, friends and colleagues Soutar also manages to give us an insight into his personal life - who would have thought that he'd love watching "I Love Lucy"? We also learn about his relationship with his various ballet partners, including of course, Margot Fonteyn.
This book is a riveting glimpse into the world of ballet, and a compelling portrait of one of its most complex characters.

Voyage of discovery, 24 Aug 2004
I am not a balletomane - far from it - but it didn't matter when I started to read "The Real Nureyev" I just couldn't put it down and was irritated by interruptions. It is brilliantly written by his one-time stage manager, with love and a desire to understand the strange Russian who leapt onto her London stage. Carolyn Soutar gives us a pretty complete picture (even, like the Emperor, without his clothes!) His too-early death did not deter her from her search for the real Rudi. She sought acros the world for his lovers, friends and fellow dancers and revived their memories. It is a voyage of discovery, a quest. And it is not necessary to know a pas de deux from a pirouette to enjoy the fun and intrigue of travelling to the end.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

An absorbing read, 31 May 2008
Once I started this I couldn't put it down; I loved it. I bought it (obviously) to find out more about Lydia and her life in the world of ballet. I certainly did that and what a wonderful character she turned out to be (though in some ways just as enigmatic at the end of the book as at the beginning). Her early life especially involves the author in quite a lot of guesswork and there are some teasing mysteries.

But I got so much more besides: insights into the Bloomsbury set and it educated me (very readably indeed) as to just how towering a fugure Maynard Keynes was. If anyone had told me I'd be enthralled by an economist I'd have laughed. A really good read - buy the paperback - it's just out.

a flawed account, 28 Jan 2008
Julie Kavanagh seemingly had access to a number of people important in Nureyev's life who had never before spoken to a biographer. Given this, it's surprising that she seems to have so little regard for her subject either personally or professionally. If you want to read about what went on in the gay bars of New York in the 60s and 70s, then this is the book for you. If you want to read about a dancer and director who had a significant effect on classical dance in the second half of the last century, look elsewhere. Nor will you find an account of the complex and interesting man who was Rudolf Nureyev. And beware: the book is peppered with factual inaccuracies.

This book is a no-holds-barred triumph, 27 Jan 2008
Rudolf Nureyev, one of very few icons of 20th-century high culture who entirely transcends the art form in which he earned his fame, deserves a biography befitting his status. In Julie Kavanagh's Rudolf Nureyev: The Life he has found one. I knew next to nothing about ballet before picking up this wonderfully hefty volume. I came away from it wanting to rent every available DVD of Nureyev dancing. The author finds a way of walking the layman (or woman) through the complex technical passages, explaining exactly how his greatness grew out of a combination of cussed perfectionism and a charismatic humanity that cannot be worked up at the barre. But the exhaustively researched narrative is about so much more than dance. You turn the pages eager to discover what fresh celebrity he will befriend, which new city he will conquer, which nose he will put out of joint. It is a riveting portrait of an epically complex man - a sensitive monster, a Soviet-reared libertine who accumulated homes, money and lovers with unbridled avidity. His biographer does not flinch in the face of the bestialities, although she is also careful to attribute them to a horrific childhood and the shock to Nureyev's moral system that came with his dramatic escape to the west. The story of his rise is intoxicating. The story of his decline is almost unbearable. The dying fall of the last fifty pages, his powers bled away by arthritis and Aids till he ended up living all but ferally like Prometheus on a lonely Italian rock, counts as the most powerful climax to a biography I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.







ALL RUDI, ALL THE TIME, 08 Nov 2007
Kavanagh's "Nureyev" is another first-rate dance biography, fully matching her marvelous account of Frederick Ashton. Nureyev was more a great star than a great dancer, yet his impact on male ballet dancers worldwide was transformative. Before Rudi, they were mostly earthbound dullards, either crudely straight or mincingly effeminate; after Rudi, men in ballet became nearly as turned out, pulled up, and extended as ballerinas, with a protean animalism that enabled them to live gay yet seem to love their women onstage.

Unlike her predecessor Richard Buckle, whose dance bios read like transcribed engagement books, Kavanagh offers a nearly perfect balance of details and distillation, compellingly tracing arcs in her subject's life. She pays extra attention to Rudi's first years in the West, richly detailing his two key relationships--with Margot Fonteyn, whom he ignited just as she was about to retire, and with Eric Bruhn, the one dancer he would learn from and the love of his life--plus the recasting of his dancing into a fusion of Russian and Western. Rudi's restless gay life is all there, yet without prurience. Eventually he settled down, for a time, with Wallace Potts, an all-American gay boy whose goodness and devotion shine through very attractively (other acolytes followed). In these pages, Rudi lives just like a coddled star athlete: no matter how beastly his conduct, somebody always satisfies his needs and keeps his ego fully inflated. A fine biography and a great read.

picturebook for adults, 25 Jul 2008
The reviews were good but I was disappointed by this book. There were lots of glossy photos but many were of DB at society parties and charitable functions which may or may not have been ballet related. In 176 pages there were about 25 pages of type. I wanted to know about DB herself and her life in and out of dancing. More pictures of her dancing not in performance or costume, but in the rehearsal rooms, or practising at the barre would have been more realistic. She does not come across as a glossy airhead so this presents a false picture of her I think. Her dancing was a phenomenon and I think there should have been more dancing pictures showing the hard graft as well as the pretty side of things.

A gem of a book, 15 Dec 2007
I enjoyed re-living so many Darcey evenings at Covent Garden through this fabulously illustrated book with a knowledgeable text that brings to life so many of her career highlights.
Some 150 pages of photos illustrate her most famous partners, many of her most famous roles and some of the choreographers who have influenced her during her long career. An affectionate 176-page tribute that's sure to inspire all who enjoy classical ballet.


A great book about a great dancer, 15 Dec 2007
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever seen Darcey dance. It follows her career and personal highlights through a stunning selection of photos that show her `on' and `off ' duty. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and they include each of her main partners. The accompanying text follows her determination to succeed from an early age - and how we nearly lost her to America. A fascinating `must read'. Clive Burton clearly knows and loves his subject and I shall be looking for more books from this talented writer whose lightness of touch with his words echoes the grace and elegance that Darcey brought to her roles.

Dance, dance, dance little lady..., 14 Dec 2007
This elegant, lavishly illustrated volume delivers exactly what it promises on its cover, celebrating the career of one of the greatest ballerinas of the m