NUREYEV

• 1938- Born 17 March, on trans-Siberian, near Irkutsk; son of Tartar parents.
• 1938-41- Lived in Moscow with family; father member of political unit in Soviet Army.
• 1941- Evaluated with family Bashkir Republic.
• 1943- Moved with family to Ufa.
• 1945-55- Studied folk dancing and music while at school in Ufa, with first ballet lessons, under Madame Udeltsova, from the age of eleven. Gained early stage experience, from the age of fifteen, doing walk-on roles for Ufa Opera House, eventually becoming apprentice member of the corps de ballet.
• 1955-58- Studied at the Leningrad Choreographic (Kirov) School, under Alexander Pushkin, with stage debut at the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, while a final-year student.
• 1958- Performed with great success at the Moscow Ballet Competition; offered contracts with both Bolshoi and the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko companies in Moscow. Refused both offers, returning to Leningrad and entering the Kirov Ballet as a soloist.
• 1958-61- Danced with the Kirov Ballet, performing leading virtuoso roles and partnering such ballerinas as Natalia Dudinskaya, Alla Shelest, Irina Kolpakova, and Alla Sizona.
• 1961- Appeared in Paris with the Kirov Ballet during their Paris/London tour; sought political asylum with French authorities on 17 June. Joined the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, with his first performance in a Western company in Paris on 23 June, partnering Nina Vyroubova in "The Sleeping Beauty".
• 1962- Govent Garden debut with Margot Fonteyn with Royal Ballet, London, in "Giselle".
• 1962-77- Principal quest artist with Royal Ballet, forming famous partnership with Margot Fonteyn and creating roles for numerous choreographers including Frederic Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. Also international quest artist, with appearances around the world including those for the Chicago Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Australian Ballet, La Scala (Milan) Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Ballet du XXe Siecle, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Royal Danish Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, London Festival Ballet, American Ballet Treatre, and Martha Graham Company.
• 1964- Staged first complete ballet, Raymonda, for the Royal Ballets touring company at the Spoleto Festival, Italy.
• 1966- Debut as a choreographer with "Tancredi" for the Vienna State Opera Ballet. Staged first production of "The Sleeping Beauty" for La Scala, Milan.
• 1973- Received the "Dance Magazine" Award, New York, and the Prix Marius Petipa, Paris.
• 1974-75- Directed and danced in own season, called "Nureyev and Friends", on Broadway, New York, leading to regular seasons in New York and London through the 1980s.
• 1977- Made Hollywood acting debut with "Valentino", directed by Ken Russell.
• 1978- Awarded the Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris.
• 1982- Took Austrian citizenship.
• 1983- Appeared in second Hollywood film, "Exposed", directed by James Tobak.
• 1983-87- Artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, continuing as both choreographer and principal dancer with the Paris company.
• 1984- Awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award from the Royal Academy of Dancing in London.
• 1987- Received the title of Chevalier de la Legion dhonneur, France.
• 1989- Returned to Russia to appear on the Kirov stage in "La Sylphide". Performed the leading acting and singing role of the "King of Siam" in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, "The King and I", touring the United States.
• 1991- Received the title of Commandeur de Lordre des Arts et des Lettres, France. Also made debut as orchestral conductor, with performances in Vienna, Budapest and Athens.
• 1992- Staged final production (with Kourgapkina), the full-length "La Bayadere", at the Paris Opera.
• 1993- Died in Paris on 6 January.