Mikhail Baryshnikov
Dance History, ABT, Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian dancer, choreographer and actor is considered one of the greatest ballet dancers in history alongside Vaslav Nijinski and Rudolf Nureyev. He was born to Russian parents in Latvia, a country in the Baltic region of northern Europe then occupied by the Soviet Union, on January 27th, 1948. After dancing with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974 to take advantage of opportunities in western dance. He free lanced with many companies before joining NYC Ballet as a principle dancer to learn George Balanchine’s style of movement, and then joined American Ballet Theater, where he later became artistic director.
Baryshnikov’s mother was a dressmaker and his father was an engineer. He unfortunately lost his mother to suicide at the age of 16. Around this time he began his training at the Vaganova School in St. Petersburg. He won the top prize in the Varna International Ballet Competition and in 1967 joined the Kirov Ballet and Marinsky Theater. Because of his extraordinary stage presence, emotional expression and the purity of his technique, many well-known soviet choreographers choreographed ballets for him. Even before he left the Soviet Union, the famed dance critic for the NY Times, Clive Barnes, called him “the most perfect dancer I have ever seen”.
In 1974, while on tour in Canada with the Kirov Ballet, Baryshnikov defected from the Soviet Union and joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. From 1974-78, he was a principle dancer with American Ballet Theater, partnering with Gelsy Kirkland. They shared both a professional and romantic relationship that was very intense and stormy. In 1980 he became artistic director of ABT and continued in that position for a decade.
Baryshnikov continued to grow and expand his career as a dancer, choreographer and actor. He has three children with his partner of many years, retired ABT dancer, Lisa Rinehart. He lives in NYC and oversees
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian dancer, choreographer and actor is considered one of the greatest ballet dancers in history alongside Vaslav Nijinski and Rudolf Nureyev. He was born to Russian parents in Latvia, a country in the Baltic region of northern Europe then occupied by the Soviet Union, on January 27th, 1948. After dancing with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974 to take advantage of opportunities in western dance. He free lanced with many companies before joining NYC Ballet as a principle dancer to learn George Balanchine’s style of movement, and then joined American Ballet Theater, where he later became artistic director.
Baryshnikov’s mother was a dressmaker and his father was an engineer. He unfortunately lost his mother to suicide at the age of 16. Around this time he began his training at the Vaganova School in St. Petersburg. He won the top prize in the Varna International Ballet Competition and in 1967 joined the Kirov Ballet and Marinsky Theater. Because of his extraordinary stage presence, emotional expression and the purity of his technique, many well-known soviet choreographers choreographed ballets for him. Even before he left the Soviet Union, the famed dance critic for the NY Times, Clive Barnes, called him “the most perfect dancer I have ever seen”.
In 1974, while on tour in Canada with the Kirov Ballet, Baryshnikov defected from the Soviet Union and joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. From 1974-78, he was a principle dancer with American Ballet Theater, partnering with Gelsy Kirkland. They shared both a professional and romantic relationship that was very intense and stormy. In 1980 he became artistic director of ABT and continued in that position for a decade.
Baryshnikov continued to grow and expand his career as a dancer, choreographer and actor. He has three children with his partner of many years, retired ABT dancer, Lisa Rinehart. He lives in NYC and oversees