- In full:
- Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov
- Awards And Honors:
- Praemium Imperiale (2017)
- Kennedy Center Honors (2000)
Mikhail Baryshnikov
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Who is Mikhail Baryshnikov?
Mikhail Baryshnikov, born January 27, 1948, is a Soviet-born American actor and ballet dancer. His superior leaping ability and great physical power made him the preeminent male classical dancer of the 1970s and 80s.
At age 12, Baryshnikov entered Riga’s opera ballet school. In 1963, he entered the Vaganova ballet school and joined the Kirov Ballet as a soloist in 1966. He defected to Canada in 1974 and then joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1974, later becoming its artistic director from 1980 to 1989. In 1990, Baryshnikov created the White Oak Dance Project, and in 2005, he founded the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City.
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Where was Mikhail Baryshnikov born?
Mikhail Baryshnikov was born in Riga, Latvia, U.S.S.R., on January 27, 1948. At the age of 12, he entered Riga’s opera ballet school. Baryshnikov's early success led him to devote himself to dance. In 1963, he joined the Vaganova ballet school, the training school for the Kirov Ballet, where he was taught by Aleksandr Pushkin. By 1966, he became a soloist for the Kirov Ballet without the typical apprenticeship.
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What kind of dance is Mikhail Baryshnikov famous for?
Mikhail Baryshnikov is a Soviet-born American actor and ballet dancer who was the preeminent male classical dancer of the 1970s and \u201980s. His success led him to the Vaganova ballet school, and in 1966, he joined the Kirov Ballet as a soloist. As the Kirov Ballet’s premier danseur noble, Baryshnikov appeared in leading roles in original ballets choreographed for him.
While on tour in Toronto in June 1974, Baryshnikov defected and was granted asylum by the Canadian government. Soon after, he began a series of highly successful appearances before North American audiences. Baryshnikov joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1974 and danced with that company for four years.
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Why did Mikhail Baryshnikov move to the United States?
Mikhail Baryshnikov, a Soviet-born ballet dancer who later became an American actor, defected to Canada in 1974 while on tour with a dance company. He felt stifled by the official restrictions placed upon artists in the Soviet Union, especially the prohibition against performing contemporary foreign ballets. Soon after seeking asylum, he began performing to great acclaim in North America. In 1974, Baryshnikov joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where he would later serve as artistic director from 1980 to 1989.
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What are some achievements or famous performances of Mikhail Baryshnikov?
Mikhail Baryshnikov, a Soviet-born American ballet dancer, is celebrated as the preeminent male classical dancer of the 1970s and 80s.
Principal Roles and Performances
* Performed lead roles in Gorianka (1968) and Vestris (1969) with the Kirov Ballet.
* Rechoreographed the Russian classics The Nutcracker (1976) and Don Quixote (1978).Directorships
* Artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 1980 to 1989.
* Directed the White Oak Dance Project from 1990 to 2002.Other Notable Achievements
* Played roles in film, including The Turning Point (1977) and White Nights (1985), as well as in television series such as Sex and the City.
* Received a Kennedy Center Honor (2000) and the Praemium Imperiale (2017).1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Mikhail Baryshnikov influence the world of dance?
Mikhail Baryshnikov, a Soviet-born American dancer, significantly impacted the dance world through his exceptional skill and vision. His defection from the Soviet Union in 1974 allowed him to explore a wider range of artistic opportunities, leading to his role as artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 1980 to 1989.
Baryshnikov's influence extends to his efforts to merge ballet with modern dance. In 2005, he founded the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, which supports artists in various disciplines. His talent and vision have left a lasting mark on ballet and contemporary dance.
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Mikhail Baryshnikov (born January 27, 1948, Riga, Latvia, U.S.S.R.) is a Soviet-born American actor and ballet dancer who was the preeminent male classical dancer of the 1970s and ’80s. He subsequently became a noted dance director.
The son of Russian parents in Latvia, Baryshnikov entered Riga’s opera ballet school at age 12. The success that he achieved there convinced him to devote himself to dancing. In 1963 he was admitted to the Vaganova ballet school (the training school for the Kirov (now Mariinsky) Ballet in Leningrad [St. Petersburg]), where he was instructed by Aleksandr Pushkin. In 1966 he joined the Kirov Ballet as a soloist without having to serve the customary apprenticeship as a member of the corps de ballet. As the Kirov Ballet’s premier danseur noble, Baryshnikov appeared in the leading roles in Gorianka (1968) and Vestris (1969), two original ballets that had been especially choreographed for him.
Baryshnikov was extremely popular with Soviet audiences, but he began to chafe at the official restrictions that were placed upon him as an artist, particularly the prohibition on his performance of contemporary foreign ballets. While on a dance tour in Toronto in June 1974, Baryshnikov defected and was granted asylum by the Canadian government. Soon thereafter he began a series of highly successful appearances before North American audiences. As a dancer, his great physical prowess and unsurpassed leaping ability enabled him to perform the most difficult combinations of steps with remarkable elegance of line.
Baryshnikov joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1974 and danced with that company for four years, during which time he rechoreographed the Russian classics The Nutcracker (in 1976) and Don Quixote (in 1978). He danced with the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine in 1978–79, but from 1980 to 1989 he returned to the ABT as that company’s artistic director. In 1990 Baryshnikov created the White Oak Dance Project, a small touring company of experienced dancers, and served as its director until 2002. Three years later he founded the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, a creative space that supports multidisciplinary artists from around the world.
In addition to his ballet career, Baryshnikov played a leading role as dancer and actor in the motion pictures The Turning Point (1977), White Nights (1985), That’s Dancing! (1985), and Dancers (1987). He played a dramatic role in the Franz Kafka play Metamorphosis (1989) and appeared as a recurring love interest of lead character Carrie Bradshaw in the television series Sex and the City (2003–04).
Baryshnikov has received numerous awards, including a Kennedy Center Honor (2000). In 2017 the Japan Art Association awarded him the Praemium Imperiale for theater/film, a prize recognizing lifetime achievement in fields not covered by the Nobel Prize.