Rudolf Nureyev, the Soviet ballet dancer who stunned the world by defecting to the West and became the most celebrated classic dancer of his generation, died Wednesday at age 54.
Nureyev, widely reported to be suffering from AIDS, died of "a cardiac complication, following a cruel illness," his physician, Michel Canesi, said in a statement.Andre Larquie, chief executive of the Paris Opera, of which Nureyev was dance director, said no decision had been made on a funeral date.
Nureyev was the Kirov Ballet's leading dancer in 1961 when he became the first Soviet star to defect. He went on to captivate audiences around the world with his unparalled stage presence, grace and athletic prowess for three decades. For much of that time, he and Dame Margot Fonteyn were a ballet duo. Both seemed more romantic and thrilling together than either did dancing with other partners.
His fame spread far beyond the world of dance. He was lionized as a celebrity, people wrote about his Beatle-style haircut, his eccentric clothes and his intensity about his art.
Maude Gosling, a London-based dance critic and a friend of Nureyev's since 1962, said Wednesday of him, "I think he'll be remembered as the greatest dancer of our lifetime."