Nureyev: An Autobiography with Pictures.

With pictures by Richard Avedon, Michael Peto, Anthony Crickmay, and others.
Introduced by Alexander Bland.

New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., 1963.
8vo, 160 pp., ill.

In original blue cloth and pictorial dust jacket (with photographs by Richard Avedon).
In good condition, price-clipped jacket, lightly rubbed and soiled dj, bookplate ‘Ex Libris Don Lovell’ to first free endpaper.

First American edition.

The autobiography of Rudolf Nureyev (1938–1993), one of the greatest ballet dancers and choreographers of all time. In 1958, Nureyev joined the Kirov Ballet, and during the company’s first tour to Paris in 1961, he became the first Soviet dancer to defect, despite efforts by the KGB to prevent him. Almost immediately, Nureyev became highly sought after as a guest artist. He collaborated with many of the leading choreographers of his generation, including Frederick Ashton, Maurice Béjart, and George Balanchine. Nureyev was also a pioneer among ballet stars in working with modern dance choreographers such as Martha Graham and Paul Taylor.
The book is beautifully complemented by iconic photographs by Richard Avedon.