Le Corsaire, choreographed by Nureyev. He spent so long in the air doing his jete's that the orchestra had to slow down!
I had the great thrill of seeing his choreography of Romeo and Juliet to Prekoffiev's music in Liverpool way back in the 70's.
San Francisco, July 11 1967
Charges against Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn, stars of the Royal Ballet company now on an American tour, were dropped today because of insufficient evidence.
Earlier, they had been released on bail after being arrested by San Francisco police in the early hours at a party in an apartment in the Haight-Ashbury district, the well-known resort of the so-called "hippies" or drug-takers.
With 15 others taken into custody, they were charged with disturbing the peace and visiting a place where the drug marijuana was being used. The owner of the house, Kid Terrill, was also charged with possessing two pornographic films.
The police said they were called to the apartment about 3 a.m. by a neighbour who complained of the noise from the party. They found a quantity of marijuana and several pills.
Witnesses said the party-goers, including the two dancers, scattered into the hallway and out of the back door when the officers arrived. Dame Margot, who was found on a rooftop nearby, was described by officers as "very graceful about the raid," but they added that Nureyev, who was found on another roof, "wasn't too pleasant."
All those taken into custody were booked at the San Francisco Hall of Justice, fingerprinted, and photographed.
Nureyev appeared agitated when news reporters attempted to question him. He refused to answer questions as he was transferred to the city gaol. Dame Margot was taken by police to a conference room where she telephoned her attorney. Bail of $330 each was posted by the Royal Ballet manager, Mr V. H. Clarke.
The police said the two dancers told them they had attended a party in downtown San Francisco last night and that they had decided to visit the much-publicised Haight-Ashbury district. In London, a Covent Garden Opera House spokesman, giving an account of the incident as reported by the Royal Ballet's management in San Francisco, said : "What actually happened was they had been dancing at the theatre and were having late supper with friends afterwards, and these friends asked them, have you ever been to the hippie district ?' They said, 'We will take you - it is the sort of thing all tourists have to do. So they were taken to this house and had only been there for about 10 to 15 minutes before the police raid on it."
