Rudolf Nureyev Solo Debut on American TV 1963

Rudolf Nureyev’s first American solo broadcast. He danced the male solos from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and from Katchaturian’s Gayne. He seems nervous and vulnerable, especially in the Katchaturian, where he finishes in a bit of a sad and awkward pose. Because of the blurry image you can’t really see his final expression, which is strained, in between a forced smile and a grimace of pain. The audience loved him. His unmistakable charisma and beauty were instantly recognized.