(Le corsaire, 1966, archivio del Teatro alla Scala)
With slick aerials that killed the stage and jumps that would make the most agile Parkour traceur blush, Rudolf Nureyev made you believe that the body was capable of flight, unburdened by its humbly-human, stiff-jointed limitations. Yesterday marked the 20th annivesary of the death of the legendary dancer. In homage to his Milan-side legacy, Teatro alla Scala curated posters, costumes and photographs of the Soviet dancer as he assemblé'd and pas de deux'd his way across Piermarini's stage, starting with his La Scala premiere in October 1965 (with Margot Fonteyn in Romeo and Juliet) through the 80s. The exhibition opened in December and runs until the end of the month at La Scala's in-house museum.