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Remembering Nureyev: The Trail of a Comet | 
 enlarge | Author: Rudi Van Dantzig
Creator: Katie De Haan
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy Used: $18.49
You Save: $16.46 (47%)
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 1032276
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0813032091
Dewey Decimal Number: 792.8028092
EAN: 9780813032092
ASIN: 0813032091
Publication Date: April 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: AS NEW Publisher's pre-edition copy soft cover. Please do not purchase if you want the hardcover. Crease on p. 246. Covers curl up slightly. Collector's copy in the pre-edition format. Unable to sell to Washington State residents. FAST Shipping, same or next business day. Customer Satisfaction is our Goal!
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Product Description
Famously volatile, fickle in his passions for people, but with astonishing charisma onstage and off, Rudolf Nureyev is regarded as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the twentieth century. In 1968, Nureyev approached Rudi van Dantzig for permission to dance in one of van Dantzig's ballets. So began a close friendship and artistic collaboration that lasted until Nureyev's death in 1993. This searing memoir is an uncompromising look at artists in relationship. The passion for dance that drove both men created a bond that was constantly strained by Nureyev's outrageous lifestyle and van Dantzig's uncompromising idea of how his work should be portrayed. Worlds apart in temperament, van Dantzig's demands for high-caliber performances led to the eventual firing of Nureyev as the dancer's prowess waned. This is a book balletomanes cannot miss, with an eagle-eyed sharpness that never dissolves into hagiography or gossip.
Book Description
The tempestuous relationship between two world-class artists "Van Dantzig's remembrance of Nureyev is a moving testimonial to a complex man and a great dancer. Indeed like a comet, both in sheer physicality and presence, Nureyev left a long trail that will not be forgotten. It is a touching, honest, and deeply satisfying book." ?Andre Lewis, Artistic Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet "Rudolf Nureyev made ballet important to twentieth-century culture all over the world because of his magnificent performances and his flamboyance. This is a portrait of the man, written by a choreographer who understood him extremely well."?Monica Moseley, assistant curator, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center "There have been many biographies and memoirs published about Rudolf Nureyev since his untimely death. Rudi van Dantzig, however, has written the very best portrait to appear in print so far. Nureyev himself asked van Dantzig to write a remembrance. Anyone who reads this book will understand Nureyev's request." ––Mindy Aloff Famously volatile, fickle in his passions for people, but with astonishing charisma onstage and off, Rudolf Nureyev is regarded as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the twentieth century. In 1968, Nureyev approached Rudi van Dantzig for permission to dance in one of van Dantzig's ballets. So began a close friendship and artistic collaboration that lasted until Nureyev's death in 1993. This searing memoir is an uncompromising look at artists in relationship. The passion for dance that drove both men created a bond that was constantly strained by Nureyev's outrageous lifestyle and van Dantzig's uncompromising idea of how his work should be portrayed. Worlds apart in temperament, van Dantzig's demands for high-caliber performances led to the eventual firing of Nureyev as the dancer's prowess waned. This is a book balletomanes cannot miss, with an eagle-eyed sharpness that never dissolves into hagiography or gossip.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A sensitive beautiful remembrance May 29, 2008
U. A. Seemann
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Rudi van Dantzig describes his friendship with Rudolf Nureyev with great sensitivity. The author was/is a fine observer of people's follys, but makes no value judgements. which I appreciated.
The book is a finely tuned to the spirit of the 1980s and 1990s, and definately neither whitewashing nor darkening Nureyev's image. The word AIDS is never mentioned, yet one 'knows'.
I recommend this book highly to all fans of Rudolf Nureyev.
Ute Seemann
An eye-opening, firsthand testimony of the bond between artists July 11, 2008
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Remembering Nureyev: The Trail of a Comet is a biography of acclaimed male ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, as told by one of his closest friends, the European choreographer Rudi van Dantzig, who first met Nureyev when Nureyev asked for permission to dance in one of van Dantzig's ballets. Expertly translated into English by Katie de Haan, Remembering Nureyev is a tale of conflict as well as closeness; though Nureyev was a genius in the realm of ballet, his over-the-top lifestyle frequently brought him at odds with Dantzig, who had a very strict concept of how his dances should be performed and portrayed. Dantzig eventually fired Nureyev as the advance of years took its toll upon his skills and his life. An eye-opening, firsthand testimony of the bond between artists.
 an obscure and egotistical author tries to dimish a great star September 14, 2008
mgd (NC)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I tried hard to like this book but as a fan of Nureyev and a reader of many other rememberances of him, I have to say this is not one of my favorites. Rudi Van Dantzig was a so called friend of Nureyev for 25 years and profited enormously from the association as without Nureyev it would have been unlikely for Dantzig or his company to achieve fame in the dance world, yet he trashes his friend's memory at every opportunity in this book, IMO. Like a lot of footnote people in the arts, the author seems to be trying to pump up his own importance by denigrating a truly great star, IMO.
If the author is to be believed, Nureyev was only semi talented, an indifferent worker in the studio, a poor partner in pas de deux, a fickle friend, etc. Similarly, Margot Fonteyn is characterised as an untalented ballerina who danced her parts without expression or emotion and no technique. Yet, if one reads other books on Nureyev from other famous dancers or critics,etc, one learns Nureyev was tempermental, yes, but was a hard worker and staunch friend(the critically acclaimed dramatic British ballerina Lynn Seymour, for example, details how Nureyev gave her parts when a thryoid ailment had her on hiatus in her memoir--characteristically, Seymour is described as a poor actress by Dantzig!) and a great partner( Nureyev partnered a who's who of great ballerinas--even Gelsey Kirkland stated in her tell all book that she wished Nureyev was 10 years younger so he could partner her). Similarly, Fonteyn was called the greatest non-Russian intrepreter of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty by many experts on Russian Ballet like Smakov. In other words,many other authors and friends claim the exact opposite of what this author is maintaining( however, since art is objective, Dantzig is entitled to his opinion).
To say that Dantzig is in the minority with his views on the artistic value of Nureyev, Fonteyn, Seymour,etc is putting it mildly. Perhaps the author has trouble dealing with the fact that Nureyev and Fonteyn have grown more and more famous after death and he himself has become more and more ignored and obscure. This book is truly an example of a footnote person trying to throw dirt on one of the greatest stars ballet has ever seen, IMO. Like Nijinsky, Nureyev was given that rare title of Le dieu de la dance--a god of the dance--in his lifetime and also was called the "Russian Comet" because he was so much of a superstar on stage. Even the great Mikhail Baryshinikov has said that Nureyev was better dramatically than he was and Tamara Karasvina, the partner of Nijinksy, saw Nureyev in the early 1960's and said Nureyev was better than Nijinksy. Yet, Rudi Van Dantzig would have you believe that Nureyev was inferior to little known dancers in his Dutch company in most roles( yeah right!).
Personally, I think this is just an attempt to get publicity for Dantzig and profit off his old friend and benefactor. Dantzig's main theme seemed to me to be "I am great, my ballets are great and I think Rudolf was mediocre in them and so I am greater than he and have more integrity and talent, etc" when the truth is that Dantzig's ballets mostly gained interest in the dance world when Nureyev started to dance in them. Dantzig was considered a minor talent working in the artistic backwater of Holland and Nureyev was a good friend to him to continue working with him in developing ballets and in Nureyev's dancing with and elevating the Dutch company to an international level. Van Dantzig is known in dance circles but he is certainly not a household name even in those circles, like say, Ashton( who he also makes fun of--describing the great choreographer as "lisping") or Balanchine( who he describes as working indifferently with Nureyev on Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme).
On the personal side, the author's more private remembrances are more bearable because they are private and they are not so opposed to what is in other books on the man. Dantzig does take steps to portray Nureyev as an annoying friend with questionable priorities. However, Nureyev, not Dantzig, comes off as the bigger person as Nureyev continued their friendship even when Dantzing decided to fire Nureyev when he got too old to dance the ballets--of course, the firing happens after Nureyev had established Dantzig as a choreographer of interest first. Dantzig comes off as a user, not a friend,IMO. The author also spends an inordinate amount of time recounting every argument or tantrum Nureyev had while trying to diminish Nureyev's greatness with critics and fans at every opportunity in the book.
I suggest fans of Nureyev to read this bio with a grain of salt(or skip it altogether) and to read some other more balanced biographies on him like "The dancer who flew", which was written by a dancer in the Canadian Ballet who was close enough that Nureyev was her child's godfather and it is also very behind the scenes and personal. Other good choices include more objective bios like "Perpetual motion", "His life", etc and the poetic "Dancer".
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