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(born March 17, 1938, Irkutsk, Russia, U.S.S.R.died Jan. 6, 1993, Paris, Fr.) Russian ballet dancer. After studying ballet in Leningrad (195558), he joined the Kirov Ballet as a soloist. He defected during the company's tour to Paris in 1961. Thereafter he danced as a guest artist with many companies, especially the Royal Ballet, where he regularly partnered Margot Fonteyn. His performances, combining an intensely romantic sensibility with stunning muscularity and technique, made him an international star. He choreographed new versions of , , and . From 1983 to 1989 he was artistic director of the Paris Opéra Ballet.
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