Remembering Nureyev

Lewis Segal’s ill-concealed animus toward Rudolf Nureyev was obvious again in his June 11 article (“Reclaiming the Glory That Was Nureyev”).

If, as Segal claimed, past dancers like Dolin, Youskevitch, Somes and Bruhn were “male heartthrobs” before Nureyev, the palpitations were limited to that era’s small circle of ballet fans. No male dancer has ever been the mass-media, trend-setting, universally known star that Nureyev was.

While Segal picks at Nureyev’s “hunched shoulders,” I recall some of the above quartet’s knobby knees, archless feet and disappointing performance. And they might have danced worse, as they aged, had they not simplified the steps--something Nureyev never did.

HAL DE BECKER

Las Vegas

Segal’s article about Nureyev was great, especially the paragraph in which he mentioned “the sheer physical effort of ballet . . . that dramatized all the difficulties and his triumph over them. . . .” I saw that.

Years ago, when I was living in Jerusalem, Nureyev gave a performance at the Jerusalem Theater, used then for plays and the symphony. The hall wasn’t crowded, giving an awesome intimacy to his performance. For the first time I realized the muscular physique of a dancer. The confines of the stage didn’t bother him. He contained himself but not his movements, all huge, powerful. It was unforgettable.

I still can see him dancing on that small stage. And learned all there was to know about what made a great ballet dancer.

JENNIE TARABULUS

Seattle