Opening at the de Young Museum in San Francisco on October 6th, the 20th anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev’s death, “Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance” is a special exhibit with more than 70 costumes plus photographs and videos chronicling Nureyev’s life and dedication to dance.  Nureyev worked closely with costume designers; according to designer Martin Kamer, Nureyev “wanted costumes to work with, not against, the choreographic movement.”

A Life in Dance - de Young Museum

“You live as long as you dance,” were words Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) lived by as a preeminent dancer, choreographer, ballet master, and company director.  After his escape from the Soviet Union in 1961, he transformed dance by raising the importance of roles for male dancers, reinvigorating classic Petipa ballets such as Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, and building bridges between classical ballet and modern dance through his work with Martha Graham and other choreographers.

Rudolf Nureyev Foundation

“As long as my ballets are danced, I will live.”  San Francisco Ballet will be performing Nureyev’s Raymonda (Act III) as part of their 80th anniversary season which opens January 24, 2013.

SF Ballet 80th Season - SF Examiner

SF Ballet Season Brochure