Said to be one of history's greatest Ballet Dancers, Rudolph Nureyev, was born on this day in 1938 on a train in southeastern Siberia. His defection from the Soviet Union's Kirov Ballet while on tour in 1961 made headlines worldwide. He was known for his ability to combine passion with a high level of perfectionism. His long partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn of the Royal Ballet was legendary. He served as the Paris Opera Ballet's artistic director. He died in 1993 in Paris.
