The Nureyev Style at the Museum of Costume.

29/07/2005

A VERY special display of costumes, personal clothes and textiles which belonged to the world famous ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev will be on show at the Museum of Costume in Bath from Monday, August 1.

The year long display will give visitors to the Bath & North East Somerset Council-run museum a unique chance to see for themselves some of the most magnificent ballet costumes worn throughout a long and illustrious career in which he danced on the world’s most famous stages.

In addition people will also see some of his personal clothes and some of the textiles he collected all of which played a part in creating his own particular and iconic style.

Rosemary Harden, Manager of the Museum of Costume, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council is delighted to present this display which offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for people in the UK to see these spectacular costumes.

“We are so very grateful to The Nureyev Foundation who have leant us these items and I am sure that visitors to the Museum of Costume will find them fascinating.”

A highlight of the display is a blue and silver silk brocade costume worn by Nureyev when he danced the role of the Prince Siegfried in the 1964 Vienna State Opera Ballet’s of Swan Lake.

There will also be two stunning costumes from Nureyev’s own production of Romeo and Juliet first staged by the London Festival Ballet in 1977.

The Museum is particularly pleased to be able to include a doublet worn by Nureyev as Albrecht in Act One of Giselle at Covent Garden as this was one of the first roles in which he partnered the English prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn.

Dame Margot was great supporter of the Museum of Costume and donated a number of her personal clothes to the Museum in the 1960s some of which will also be on display alongside the Nureyev pieces.

Rosemary Harden added: “Rudolf Nureyev set the world on fire with his dancing, but he also had great personal charisma and style off the stage.

“From the peaked caps of the 1960s to the throws, shawls and rich textiles of his later years, fashion played a role in creating Nureyev’s iconic image. This is reflected in the display with a feature devoted to the many and varied hats he wore throughout his life.

“Nureyev gave so much to so many people through his dancing, but remained essentially a private person frequently saying in interviews ‘I don’t fit; I am an outsider’.

“This display gives a glimpse of Nureyev’s private world through the chance to see his personal possessions, the clothes and textiles he wore and collected and chose to live with out of the spotlight, and away from the glare of the cameras.

“At the same time, it gives the chance to look at the material culture, the ‘real thing’, which goes into the creation of an icon.”

The Nureyev Style will be on display until August 31st 2006.

The Museum of Costume is based at the historic Assembly Rooms in Bennett Street, Bath and is open every day (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day). For opening times and more information log on to the website at www.museumofcostume.co.uk or call Tel: 01225 477789.