Otis Stuart Is Dead; Dance Critic Was 43


Otis Stuart, a dance critic and the author of the first major biography of Rudolf Nureyev written and published in the United States, died on Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 43.

The cause was AIDS, said Sarah Pettit, a friend.

A writer with a lively, relaxed style, Mr. Stuart wrote about dance, as well as theater and film, for publications that included Ballet Review, Elle, Out, The New York Dance Review, The New York Times, Vanity Fair and The Village Voice. His biography of Nureyev, "Perpetual Motion: The Private and Public Lives of Rudolf Nureyev," was published last month by Simon & Schuster and received favorable notices.

He was born in St. Martinville, La. Mr. Stuart, who changed his name from Otis Hebert, received a master's degree in English literature from Columbia University, and studied acting with Austin Pendleton, Sandy Dennis and Kim Stanley. He performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Williamstown Theater Festival and in many Off Off Broadway showcases.

He is survived by his parents, Otis and Della Hebert of St. Martinville; a sister, Janelle Hebert-Gaye of New Orleans, and a brother, Richard Hebert of Montgomery, Ala.

(New York Times, March 6, 1995, Monday, Late Edition - Final)


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