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Oleg Kerensky
(January 9, 1930 - July 9, 1993) U.K.

Oleg Kerensky

Ballet critic, broadcaster

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Oleg Kerensky was born in London. Being grandson of Alexander Kerensky, head of the Russian Provisional Government in 1917, certainly helped Oleg in his Oxford days at Christ Church and as treasurer and Librarian of the Oxford Union. Political expectations remained unfulfilled along with interest in the bridges and motorways built by his designer father. The need to conceal his homosexuality makes his life miserable, and that’s why he decides to abandon his political ambitions. Journalism offers a happier life.

He was fascinated by the world and personalities of the arts, especially classical ballet, to which he was introduced by his mother. They appeared together at performances, he myopic and astigmatic, carrying powerful opera glasses to see the stage, she tiny beside his bulky height, among the Covent Garden crowds.

He focused finally on arts commentary and dance criticism, where he made his name. He was for five years deputy editor of the BBC's journal the Listener before going freelance, from the late 1960s. He offered from 1957 to 1978 a plain man's guide to dance for readers of the Daily Mail, the New Statesman and the International Herald Tribune.

In the Times, the Guardian and the Dancing Times as well as in his regular outlets he discussed male dancing and homosexuality and argued for changes in dance training and better employment for dancers after performing careers. Thus he was an opinion-former as well as a critic heard frequently on The Critics, The World of Books and other BBC arts programmes.

He moved latterly to the United States, where his occasional pieces in the Stage and elsewhere signalled across the ocean that his commitment to classical ballet remained even while he fought the cancer which killed him.

Oleg Kerensky died in New York, at age 63.

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Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/ - https://jackvanderwyk.wordpress.com/

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