Oh What a Wow - He's the Greatest Dancer

"A male dancer like this, with such sensuality, ability and charisma, had not been seen before.....not even Nijinsky had the impact Nureyev had on dance. To see him stand on stage was a revelation."

One of the most beautiful men to have ever lived, Rudolf Nureyev would have been seventy years old this week.

Rudolf was a sensation - as flamboyant, haughty and dramatic off stage as he was on it. His defection from Russia in the height of the Cold War was a bolt from the blue for the art world. But it was his flawless, emotional and graceful performances that projected him to super-stardom, and he was lauded as the best classical ballet dancer of the twentieth century.

And he was just soooo sexy...

Lord Snowdon recalls meeting Rudy for a photoshoot:

I said "Tell Mr Nureyev to take that handkerchief out of his pocket, it looks ridiculous." And Rudolf said, "That is no hanky, that is my cock!"

Nureyev - The Russian Years

Nureyev and Miss Piggy in the sauna (The Muppet Show)

Rudolf Nureyev - The Life