Manhattan balletomanes had been waiting for months, and now the Royal Ballet was actually in town. Impresario Sol Hurok's Barnum-sized package included 500 tons of scenery, 160 people, and the most spectacular new dance partnership in half a century: Dame Margot Fonteyn and Russian Defector Rudolf Nureyev, starring in a ballet created expressly for their extraordinary talents.
But even after opening night the wait went on. Impresario Hurok filled the stage with ballets as old and rococo as the Metropolitan Opera House itself. Then he tried the most loyal fans' patience by first presenting...