Nico Archambault needs to be less incredulous when people offer him jobs.
He told a funny story about his reaction when he first was contacted about the lead role in Nureyev, an excellent hour-long Canadian original special that debuts Tuesday on Bravo.
“I got an e-mail from the director, who asked if I would consider being part of the project as Rudolf Nureyev.
So at first I said, ‘Are you crazy?’” recalled Archambault, a 25-year-old native of Longueuil, Que., who was the winner in the first season of CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
“I remember really clearly, because it happened during the tour of So You Think. I was with all the other dancers, and I was like, ‘Hey guys, some guy wants me to play Nureyev!’”
Nothing like starting at the top for your first major television role.
“It was a lot of pressure, definitely,” Archambault said. “Nureyev was one of the greatest dancers the world ever has known, but he was a ballet dancer, and I’m not.”
Even if you’re not a dance person, per se, Nureyev is a fascinating program. It presents fictionalized accounts of real events in Nureyev’s life through dance and dramatic monologues.
Archambault himself doesn’t speak a word, though.
“No, it’s all through dance, which I thought was amazing,” Archambault said. “There have been books written about him, movies about his life, but it never has been done through what he loved most, which is dancing.”
Nureyev fled communist Russia and defected to the West in 1961, when it was incredibly dangerous to do so.
“On every level, politically, socially, the guy was bound to change things in his life,” Archambault said. “He changed the role of male dancer. Without him, guys still would be a prop to women dancing in ballet.
“And he was kind of a rock star as well, he had that charisma. People had no choice but to react to that guy, which is very impressive.”
Speaking of impressive, Archambault recently appeared in the video for Janet Jackson’s single Make Me, and he performed with her at the American Music Awards. So how did the association with Janet come about?
“All I know is I got a call one day, on my birthday, from her choreographer, mentioning he wanted to use me for a video,” Archambault said. “At first I didn’t think it was serious. I was like, ‘Naw, that’s not going to happen.’ ”
OK, Nico, the Nureyev people called and you thought it was a joke. Janet Jackson’s people called and you thought it was a joke. Did you ever consider that maybe you’re better than you think you are?
“Maybe, maybe,” Archambault said with a chuckle. “I’m just so happy and thankful, I don’t really care why, or what, or when. I’ll give it my best.”
Every once in a while a TV show comes along that pleasantly surprises you with its uniqueness. For yours truly, Nureyev fits the category. Check it out if you can.
bill.harris@sunmedia.ca
