A closer look
During the Cold War, ballet was actually considered serious geopolitical ammunition, and the Soviet Union truly believed their classical dancers proved the absolute superiority of the communist system. That is, until Rudolf Nureyev decided he preferred Parisian cafes over stern KGB minders. In 1961, right in the middle of a massive international tour, Nureyev made a spectacular, literal leap for freedom into the protective arms of French airport police. His very public defection was an absolutely humiliating gut punch to Nikita Khrushchev. The idea that a single man wearing tights could deal such a devastating blow to the Iron Curtain remains one of history’s most fabulous moments.
