Baryshnikov, Mikhail (redirected from Mikhail Baryshnikov)

Baryshnikov, Mikhail (mĭ`khail bərĭ'shnĭkäv`), 1948–, Russian-American dancer and choreographer, b. Riga, Latvia (then in the USSR). He studied in Riga and performed with the Kirov Ballet (1966–74). Although highly respected and extremely popular in the Soviet Union, he defected to the West in 1974, where he danced with the American Ballet Theatre (1974–78) and the New York City Ballet (1978–79). Among the many dances in which he has performed are Swan Lake, Giselle, Twyla Tharp's Push Comes to Shove, and John Butler's Medea. He has also choreographed such works as The Nutcracker and Don Quixote.

Baryshnikov has also starred in films, notably The Turning Point (1977), which introduced him to a mass American audience, and White Nights (1985), and on television, e.g., Baryshnikov on Broadway (1980) and the cable sitcom Sex and the City (2003–4). He was the artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre from 1980 to 1989 and since then has been involved with several modern dance projects, including productions by his own touring modern dance company, the White Oak Dance Project (1990–2002); a tour with Twyla Tharp; and productions of works by Mark Morris. In 2005 he opened the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, a large multipurpose space for artists in various media. With his engaging personality and versatility, Baryshnikov has brought the public to a greater appreciation of ballet, of dance in general, and of the arts as a whole.

Bibliography

See his Baryshnikov at Work (1976); study by G. Smakov (1980).

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Baryshnikov, Mikhail (Nikolayevich)

(born Jan. 28, 1948, Riga, Latvia, U.S.S.R.) Latvian-born U.S. dancer. After entering the Kirov Ballet's training school in St. Petersburg in 1963, he joined the company as a soloist in 1966. There he quickly became popular with Soviet audiences, dancing leading roles created for him in ballets such as Gorianka (1968) and Vestris (1969). He defected while on tour in Canada in 1974. He danced with American Ballet Theatre until 1978, winning enormous acclaim, and he served as its artistic director from 1980 to 1989. He danced and acted in several movies and on television.

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Baryshnikov, Mikhail (1948–  ) ballet dancer; born in Riga, Latvia. After training at the Riga Choreographic School, he performed with the Kirov Ballet from 1966–74. He defected to Canada in 1974 and joined the American Ballet Theater, where his flamboyant style, as well as roles in such movies as The Turning Point (1977), propelled him to international stardom. During his tenure as the American Ballet Theater's artistic director (1980–89), he made guest appearances with different companies. In 1990 he began to collaborate with Mark Morris in the White Oak Dance Project.