Перелистывала "Miss O: My Life in Dance" Бетти Олифант, открыла главу "Defectors" - и захотелось мне переписать оттуда несколько абзацев, посвященных Рудольфу, а заодно и Эрику - и той самой знаменитой НБКшной "Сильфиде" 64/65 гг.
"In time I came to know and understand Rudi very well. The first occasion was during his trip to Toronto to visit Erik Bruhn, the renowned Danish dancer who was performing in the ballet La Sylphide with the National Ballet of Canada. Rudi had seen Erik dance in Russia and recognized in him an artist even greater than himself. After his defection he had contacted Erik and had gone to Denmark to work and study with him. At that time they became lovers.
While Rudi was in Toronto watching Erik perform, he appeared to me to become very restless. He had never danced the role of James in La Sylphide and obviously longed to do so. Despite his admiration for Erik, who was the definitive James, Rudi was fiercely competitive. The part of James, the kilted Scotsman who fell in love with a sylph on the eve of his wedding, appealed to Rudi's romantic Slavic nature, and the choreography was a wonderful showpiece for his magnificent jumps.
Rudi's wish came true. Erik was generous by nature, so Celia Franca and I were not surprised when he suddenly "developed a bad knee". He interrupted our discussion as to who in the Company should replace him by looking up and saying slyly, "What about Rudick? He knows it." Rudick was Erik's pet name for Rudolf. Celia and I looked at each other quizzically. This would certainly solve our problem and would assure us of a full house.
At the performance that night the audience went mad and gave Nureyev sixteen courtain calls - not because it was such a great performance of the character of James but because it was superbly danced by a man who was front-page news at the time and who excited the audience with his athleticism and sensuality. We felt sad because his characterization was light-years away from Erik's and his dancing was lacking the perfectionism and clean technique that made Erik the great classicist of his day.
After this performance, I found Erik very thoughtful. The next day his knee had miraculously recovered and he pronounced himself able to dance that night. He gave the performance of hs life. He also received a standing ovation, but it was obvious that he had to work much harder for it than Rudi, who had been put on a pedestal by the public and the media. Erik and other great Western artists have often commented bitterly on how much more recognition they would have gained had they been defectors".
Итак, Бетти и не сомневалась в том, что Эрик тогда откровенно симулировал травму, чтобы дать возможность Рудольфу станцевать в "Сильфиде". В общем, протежировал Рудольфу как мог, хотя иногда сам же от этого и страдал. Хе-хе, залезла еще в "Passion to Dance" Нойфельда, чтобы вспомнить, что он пишет об этой "Сильфиде", и опять наткнулась на восхитительную историю о том, как Эрик и Рудик, милая парочка, обучали юного Петера Шауфусса пить виски - чтобы отучить его от курения. Обормоты. И ладно Рудольф, он без царя в голове, но Эрику-то как не стыдно?