Rudolf Nureyev’s first, and last, Hong Kong performances were unforgettable for all the wrong reasons

Ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev visited Hong Kong in 1989 for three performances as part of his farewell tour. It also marked his first appearance in the city, a fact he was well aware of, asking, “Why did you wait 28 years to invite me here?” when he arrived on April 23 of that year, according to a South China Morning Post report.

Nureyev, who defected from the Soviet Union in 1961 while on tour with the Kirov Ballet in Paris, France, took to the stage at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts on April 24 for his first show.

“This will be an evening you will never forget, writes producer Wolfgang Bocksch in the glossy souvenir book being offered to patrons of Rudolf Nureyev’s farewell tour at the bargain basement price of $100,” wrote the Post’s reviewer. “Mr Bocksch is right. Last night will remain etched indelibly in the minds of all those who remember the world’s greatest male dancer at the height of his glory and who had to suffer the agony of seeing him as he is today.

“Even a decade ago, honest balletomanes knew Rudi was past it. Now, at 51, there is no longer a shadow of doubt […]

“Yet there are still moments when the magic asserts itself,” the reviewer conceded. “And how can one not admire a living legend who has the monumental courage – or is it self-delusion? – to expose the ravages of time […] The temptation last night was to look away and pretend it wasn’t happening.”

According to the Post review, the show contained “some great dancing”, sadly none of it was Nureyev’s. And those performing it were reportedly unhappy with their compensation, causing delays on the final night, when the curtain went up half-an-hour late and the interval was extended.