I enjoyed SO Much to hear all these stories from Martin Kamer about himself and Nureyev, Martin is a great narrator, such an amazing lived experiences, thank you!!
How ignorant! You obviously have NOT viewed the various videos [available on RU-vid], about this incredible powerhouse of a male dancer. Prior to Nureyev male dancers were seen as 'props' supporting ballerinas in pas de deux for her to perform multiple pirouettes!
@@deanedight8238 No dear, you are ignorant. You have obviously not watched dancers in the last 20 years. Just to name a few: Vassiliev, Tsiskaridze, Polin, Kimin, Rudi was nothing compared to them.
What a delightful man, great story teller that somehow brought Rudolf Nureyev alive, not just as a performer but as a character, his critical eye for perfection, detail for choreography not to mention his wit and sarcasm. It had to be right! Rudi had a love for period costumes some of which he owned, yet another small detail that made him a consummate professional of his art. greatly missed but his memory will live on! Thank you Martin Kamer for your memories of your time with Rudolf Nureyev.
Thank you so much for this delightful, entertaining memory! How blessed you are, Martin. And how blessed Nureyev was to have you in his life, too! A voice of reason, in his somewhat chaotic life. Love to you ❤
Wow, I know Martin, he even allowed me into his collection to paint his costumes. He is such a lovely gentleman. I just discovered your video collection, I shall be looking through them with passion 😊
This gentleman, should be named a national treasure. For those of us who loved and appreciated the genius of Nureyev, who were fortunate enough to watch him perform hearing these intimate stories from this wonderful raconteur is truly a priceless gift. Merci, merci, merci et BRAVO!
A thousand thanks for posting this. A unique perspective on working with the greatest male dancer of the 20th century. It was my privilege to see Nureyev dance at The Met many times in the 60s and 70s.
Thanks for your message. You are more than welcome. It is a pleasure and a privilege for us, too. All this feedback tells us it was worth putting all this effort in it.
Robin Hope Mason and I were living in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Two of her friends from New York came to visit. They invited us to go to a ballet in Boston. We went to the box office. It was sold out. They were undeterred. They walked around the building to the stage entrance, smiled at the elderly Irish gentleman at the door and walked inside. Robin and I followed. They found an exit into the Wilbur Theater where we stood beside great columns during SWAN LAKE. Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn were so alive on stage. It was the first ballet I had seen. Afterwards our New York hosts invited us to join Nureyev and his friends. “He likes boys,” he smiled. I looked at Robin, a beautiful American woman, and said, “We’ll see you later.” ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
This film is a treasure thank you for taking the time to tell your story. I was in the haight asbury when he and fontain were arrested for smoking pot after his defection..duly impressed i saw him (and fontain )as often as possible.. I will never forget seeing them dance Paradise Lost the first time....incredible! Incredible! I will never forget......
What a nice memory to share. Thanks for doing so. I am at Martin‘s right now and about to tell him what you wrote. He‘s so happy to get all this feedback.
I had the very great privilege of seeing Nureyev in about 1988 in Colorado. We were in the nosebleed seats, and I couldn't see the stage very well, just well enough to see a man come out on stage to warm up on the barres set up there. After a while, other dancers came out to warm up as well, but my eyes never strayed from that first man. I couldn't believe it was Nureyev, he was heavier and did not move as fluidly as I'd remembered from televised performances, but as he warmed up and then started to dance, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He held the stage, as he always had.
What a remarkable memory! It underlines what Martin Kamer reports. According to him, Nureyev's stage presence was incredibly powerful. Like a magnet, he attracted the gaze of the audience through his dancing. Thank you for sharing this memory from 1988 with us.
Great insight into how it was working with Nureyev who was hard on himself and others to be perfect to everything he did on stage..an experience that shaped Martin as he was himself a perfectionist who was totally trusted..thankyou for this podcast..
Thanks for your message. I think there‘s nothing more to add. Maybe just this: Martin is still a perfectionist - in a lovely way comme il faut. We can all take an example from this.
I remember when Nureyev defected. We went to see him and Fonteyn in Marguerite and Armand. I was 13. I’ve never forgotten. I used to see him quite a bit when I lived in NYC and Dublin. I would go to London during the ballet season.
It is wonderful to hear from Martin who was close to such a giant as Nureyev to speak so openly about his experiences without wanting to self-aggrandize. Thank you Martin for candidly recounting your experiences with Nureyev for posterity..
How true! That's what makes Martin's story so appealing. Respectfully and always with a twinkle in his eye, he remembers the time he spent together with the master without putting himself too much in the limelight. That is true greatness, which also deserves my admiration.
2 times he mentioned Massako Oya. That lady sponsored a ballet school in Sofia Bulgaria. Thanks to her the school has a modern building and a small bordering house for children from the province.❤
What a fascinating piece of ballet history! Thank you for interviewing this amazing man and letting him share his stories. Loved the photos of him in his hippie outfits. He should write a book!
l 100% agree with Rudy about the too toos! Backsides hanging out seem so crude to me. HAPPY 85th Birthday dad! He is also Russian! Happy 85th Rudic. Born same day, same year.
what so many do not know-those who'defected' left a government job - no pension, no dental , did i mention no pension- they did not just leave mama and papa homeland - they left a buttshit load of money
Im Absolutely blown away by your knowledge and intricate remembering of things that happened forty plus years ago. I had to laugh, I too remember watching Rudolph's back in a performance. You literally could not take your eyes off him, he was that charismatic on stage. I also loved the story of him opening the curtains and yelling "Shut Up" at the rude bastards slow handclapping - hahaha. That would've been hilarious; I bloody bet they stopped.
Dear Mary Noonan, Thanks for your feedback. I too am impressed by how precise and detailed Martin Kamer's memoirs are - a real treasure trove of valuable anecdotes through which one can vividly imagine Nureyev. We laughed a lot during the filming. Especially, of course, with all the stories Martin told me off record.
That’s very kind of you. Thank you for your lovely feedback. It’s good to have captured these memories so that we can listen to Martin‘s report again and again.
My teacher Mansur Kamaletdinov, used to tell us stories about Rudolph. It is so special to hear very similar stories from someone that had a close relationship with him.
