Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-). Latvian-born American dancer, director and choreographer

Mikhail Baryshnikov has been one of the most important and influential artists of his time. Highly esteemed worldwide as one of the great dancers over the past half century, he has also pursued a career in film, television and on the stage. Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1948, he studied locally before travelling to Leningrad to become a pupil at the Vaganova Academy under Alexander Pushkin. He entered the Kirov Ballet in 1966 as a soloist, quickly making his mark there as an exceptional dancer. Konstantin Sergeyev’s Hamlet was created on him.

Baryshnikov defected from the Soviet Union in 1974 while on tour with a group of Soviet dancers in Canada. He said that the reason for his defection was partly to expand his range of repertoire, and this he certainly did, quickly taking on roles by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, Glen Tetley, Jerome Robbins, Alvin Ailey and George Balanchine. Twyla Tharp choreographed Push Comes To Shove for him in 1976. Baryshnikov was a principal with American Ballet Theatre from 1974 to 1978, with New York City Ballet from 1978 to 1979, and from 1980 until 1989 he was director of American Ballet Theatre, but these commitments allowed him to guest widely in Europe and elsewhere, with many of the leading ballerinas of the time, and in many different roles, both classical and modern. He appeared a number of times in London, and Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody was created for him and Lesley Collier. He also frequently danced with Natalia Makarova.

From 1990 until 2002 Baryshnikov directed White Oaks Dance Project with Mark Morris, specifically to create new works for older dancers. From 2002 onwards, he has directed the Baryshnikov Arts Center. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, he has returned a number of times to his native Latvia. In 2022 he condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been active in raising money to support the Ukrainian resistance.

From 1976 onwards, Baryshnikov has worked extensively in film and television, and from 1989 as a stage actor. His film appearances include leading roles in The Turning Point, White Nights and Dancers. Mikhail Baryshnikov became an American citizen in 1986.