Nureyev is more dream than documentary. While the hour-long portrait is based on facts, the legendary dancer Rudolf Nureyev appears only as a poster-sized photograph. Canadian dancer Nico Archambault interprets the Russian master's life in dance, as actors playing Nureyev's imagined friends, fans and critics spin revealing anecdotes about parts of his life that weren't so public. (These people and their stories, director Moze Mossanen admits in his production notes, are entirely made up: "They shed light on the realities of his time as well as the areas of his personal life seldom explored," he writes.) The tales do draw you in and charmingly set up each dance drama. Archambault - a contemporary, hip-hop dancer who won So You Think You Can Dance Canada - is a surprising choice to play the ballet great. But he pulls it off, not by imitating Nureyev, but by covering up his tattoos, toning down the punky haircut and inhabiting the spirit of Nureyev's ambition and zest for life and the stage. It's a delightful transformation to watch.
Airs Tues. Dec. 1, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT on Bravo!
Also airing
Stars on Ice: On the Edge (Wednesday, 9 p.m. on CBC) More interpretive dance, but this time it's on the ice. Battle of the Blades fans take note: Kurt Browning performs in this special, as do Jamie Salé and Marie-France Dubreuil (but they've dropped their hockey hand-holders for their pro partners David Pelletier and Patrice Lauzon).