Rudolf Nureyev’s birthday is celebrated in Ufa

UFA, 17 March 2017. /Bashinform News Agency, Leila Aralbaeva/. Today the whole world celebrates the birthday of Rudolf Nureyev - the great dancer of the twentieth century. Flowers to the bas-relief of the artist were laid at the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre. The director of the theatre Ilmar Almukhametov, the head of the ballet troupe Leonora Kuvatova, the ballet writer Nina Zhilenko took part in the ceremony. The "Crane Song" ballet once inspired the little Rudolph will be shown at the theatre this evening.

Students and teachers of the R. Nureyev’s Bashkir Choreographic College also held a solemn ceremony of laying flowers to the memorial plaque. Today the "Young Talents" children's festival contest started at the college. It was established this year for the first time together with the Board of Trustees of the educational institution. About 120 future ballet dancers competed in several nominations.

Henceforth, the "Young Talents" contest will be held in the college every year in March.

The legendary dancer Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) spent his childhood and youth in the city of Ufa. Here he started his creative career. From the age of seven he had folk dance classes. From the age of 11 he took classical dance lessons of the former soloist of the Diaghilev Ballet A.I. Udaltsova, then of Y.K.Voitovich, who previously performed in the corps de ballet of the Kirov Theatre. Rudolf Nureyev danced in the corps de ballet of the Bashkir Opera and Ballet Theatre from the age of 15, at the age of 16 he was invited to the theatre’s company.