Born To Dance

This book offers a fascinating and honest backstage glimpse into the world of professional dance.. Kevin Flanagan, who fell in love with dance at age 14 after seeing Rudolf Nureyev perform in London. From that day forward, Nureyev became his idol and his role model, so much so that at the age of 19, (an extremely late age to take up dance) Kevin Flanagan dons tights, ballet belt, and shoes in order to take his first dance class. The author's description of that first class experience is replete with devastating humor, but it also captures the passion of a young man who is determined to switch from the world of art history to the world of dance in order to have a chance to meet his hero, Rudolf Nureyev. Over the next three years, Flanagan works tirelessly to transform his body into that of a dancer. and his reward comes when first has the opportunity to appear in a ballet starring Nureyev as an extra.

In telling of his meeting with Nureyev, Flanagan captures the genius that was Nureyev; however, he also does not hesitate to detail Nureyev's bombastic temper and tyrannical arrogance. And because he can admire Nureyev, even as he acknowledges the man's flaws, the reader sees Nureyev in all his glorious humanity. The account of this meeting comes full circle when the author has the opportunity to meet with Nureyev one last time in 1990, three years before the dancing legend would die from complications from AIDS. And it is through the author's processing of this last meeting that the reader realizes that they have been treated to much more than a glimpse into the ballet world; the reader has been given the chance to be eyewitness to a life journey in which the author moves from following in the footsteps of his idol to creating his unique path forward into the world.

I highly recommend this book, not just to fans of ballet, but to anyone who has ever dared to follow a dream or even dream one.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the publisher, and author the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Thank you Kevin Flanagan! I loved this book. Always a Nureyev fan, I ate up every word! I was also fortunate to watch a rehearsal with him and Limon for the Moors Pavane back in 1971, while at college at Boston Conservatory. Your book rings so true to this incredibly notorious artist. I adored him! Thank you to Netgalley and BoksGoSocial! This is the book for lovers of Nureyev, for sure!