RUDOLF NUREYEV is one of the enduring icons of 20th-century dance. NUREYEV: THE RUSSIAN YEARS is a new examination of the key period in his life prior to and immediately following his famous "leap to freedom" in 1961. Premiering Wednesday, August 29 on Thirteen/WNET New York's GREAT PERFORMANCES on PBS (check local listings), the special weaves recent interviews with Russian colleagues and rare archival footage of the young dancer never before seen in the West.