Mikhail Baryshnikov
Born	Mikhail Nikolaevitch Baryshnikov January 28, 1948 (1948-01-28) (age 60) Riga, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR
Years active	1968 - present
Domestic partner(s)	Lisa Rinehart

Mikhail Nikolaevitch Baryshnikov (Russian: Михаил Николаевич Барышников) (born January 28, 1948) is a Soviet-born Russian American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Russian Americans are Americans whose ancestors were born in Russia. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Nijinsky redirects here For other uses of the name see Nijinsky (disambiguation. Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( Tatar: Rudolf Xämät ulı Nuriev, Russian: Рудольф Хаметович Нуриев Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974 for more opportunities in western dance. The Mariinsky Ballet, is an internationally renowned Classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page After freelancing with many companies, he joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer to learn George Balanchine's style of movement. New York State Theater by David Shankbonejpg|thumb|300px| New York State Theater]] New York City Ballet ( NYCB) is a Ballet company founded in 1948 by See also List of ballets by George Balanchine, George Balanchine (January 22 1904 &ndash April 30 1983 born Giorgi Melitonis dze Balanchivadze He then moved to dance and later became artistic director with the American Ballet Theatre, also in New York. See also American Ballet Theatre, based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century

Baryshnikov has spearheaded many of his own artistic projects and has been associated in particular with promoting modern dance, premiering dozens of new works, including many of his own. See also Dance, Concert dance Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century His success as a dramatic actor on stage, cinema and television has helped him become probably the most widely recognized contemporary ballet dancer.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Artistic career 2.1 Dance 2.2 Film and television 3 Family 4 References 5 External links

Biography

Born in Riga, now in independent Latvia, Baryshnikov began his ballet studies there in 1960. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. In 1964, he entered the Vaganova School, in what was then Leningrad (now again St. Petersburg). The Mariinsky Ballet, is an internationally renowned Classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Baryshnikov soon won the top prize in the junior division of the International Varna Competition. He joined the Kirov Ballet and made his debut at the Mariinsky Theater in 1967, dancing the “Peasant” pas de deux in Giselle. The Mariinsky Ballet, is an internationally renowned Classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. The Mariinsky Theatre ( Мариинский театр, also spelled Maryinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of Opera and Ballet in See also Pas de trois In Ballet, a pas de deux ( French, step/dance for two) is a duet in which ballet steps are performed together Giselle is a Ballet by Adolphe Adam. It has 2 acts 2 scenes with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Recognizing Baryshnikov's talent, in particular the strength of his stage presence and purity of his classical technique, several Soviet choreographers, including Oleg Vinogradov, Konstantin Sergeyev, Igor Tchernichov, and Leonid Jakobson, created ballets for him. See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Baryshnikov made signature roles of Jakobson's 1969 virtuosic Vestris along with an intensely emotional Albrecht in Giselle. ^[1] While still in the Soviet Union, he was called by New York Times critic Clive Barnes "the most perfect dancer I have ever seen". Clive Barnes may refer to Clive Barnes (musician, Irish musician Clive Barnes (critic (born 1927 English theatre critic and broadcaster ^[1]

While on a tour in Canada with the Kirov Ballet in 1974, Baryshnikov defected, requesting political asylum in Toronto. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Mariinsky Ballet, is an internationally renowned Classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. In Politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient Judicial notion under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario He later stated that Christina Berlin, an American friend of his, helped engineer his defection during his 1970 tour of London. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the His first performance after coming out of temporary seclusion in Canada was with the National Ballet of Canada in a televised version of La Sylphide. The National Ballet of Canada is Canada 's largest Ballet troupe La Sylphide is one of the world's oldest surviving romantic Ballets There are two versions of the ballet the version choreographed by the Danish He then went on to the United States. ^[2]

From 1974 to 1979, he was principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where he partnered with Gelsey Kirkland. See also American Ballet Theatre, based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29 1952, Bethlehem Pennsylvania) is an American ballet dancer He also worked with the New York City Ballet, with George Balanchine. New York State Theater by David Shankbonejpg|thumb|300px| New York State Theater]] New York City Ballet ( NYCB) is a Ballet company founded in 1948 by See also List of ballets by George Balanchine, George Balanchine (January 22 1904 &ndash April 30 1983 born Giorgi Melitonis dze Balanchivadze He also toured with ballet and modern dance companies around the world for fifteen months. See also Dance, Concert dance Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century Several roles were created for him, including roles Opus 19: The Dreamer (1979), by Jerome Robbins, Rhapsody (1980), by Frederick Ashton, and Other Dances with Natalia Makarova by Jerome Robbins. Jerome Robbins (11 October 1918 – 29 July 1998 was an American film director and Choreographer whose work has included everything from classical ballet to See also List of ballets choreographed by Frederick Ashton,, Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE, ( September Nataliya Romanovna Makarova (born November 21, 1940) is a Soviet-Russian-born American actress and former Prima ballerina. He returned to ABT in 1980 as dancer and artistic director, a position he held for a decade. On July 3, 1986, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born From 1990 to 2002, Baryshnikov was artistic director of the White Oak Dance Project, a touring company he co-founded with Mark Morris. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The White Oak Dance Project was a Dance company founded in 1990 by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris to be the touring arm of the Baryshnikov Dance See also Mark Morris (born August 29, 1956) is an American Modern dancer Choreographer and director In 2004 he launched the Baryshnikov Arts Centre in New York.

Artistic career

Dance

Baryshnikov's talent was obvious from his youth, but the Soviet system in which he grew up was ill-suited for developing it. Shorter than most dancers, he could not tower over a ballerina en pointe and was therefore relegated to secondary parts. More frustrating to him, the Soviet dance world hewed closely to 19th-century traditions and deliberately shunned the creative choreographers of the West, whose work Baryshnikov glimpsed in occasional tours and films. His main goal in leaving Russia was to work with these innovators; in the first two years after his defection, he danced for no fewer than 13 different choreographers, including Jerome Robbins, Glen Tetley, Alvin Ailey, and Twyla Tharp. Jerome Robbins (11 October 1918 – 29 July 1998 was an American film director and Choreographer whose work has included everything from classical ballet to Glen Tetley ( 2 February 1926, Cleveland Ohio &ndash 26 January 2007, Florida) was an American ballet and modern Alvin Ailey Jr ( January 5, 1931 &ndash December 1, 1989) was an American Modern dancer and Choreographer Twyla Tharp (born July 1 1941) is a American Dancer and Choreographer. "It doesn't matter if every ballet is a success or not," he told New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff in 1976, "The new experience gives me a lot. " He cited his fascination with the ways Ailey mixed classical and modern technique and his initial discomfort when Tharp insisted he incorporate eccentric personal gestures in the dance.

In 1978, he abandoned his free-lance career to spend 18 months as a principal of the New York City Ballet, run by the legendary George Balanchine. New York State Theater by David Shankbonejpg|thumb|300px| New York State Theater]] New York City Ballet ( NYCB) is a Ballet company founded in 1948 by See also List of ballets by George Balanchine, George Balanchine (January 22 1904 &ndash April 30 1983 born Giorgi Melitonis dze Balanchivadze "Mr. B," as he was known, rarely welcomed guest artists and had refused to work with both Nureyev and Makarova; Baryshnikov's decision to devote his full attentions to the New York company stunned the dance world. Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( Tatar: Rudolf Xämät ulı Nuriev, Russian: Рудольф Хаметович Нуриев Balanchine never created a new work for Baryshnikov, though he did coach the young dancer in his distinctive style, and Baryshnikov triumphed in such signature roles as Apollo, Prodigal Son, and Rubies. A Ruby is a pink to blood-red Gemstone, a variety of the Mineral Corundum ( Aluminium oxide) Robbins did, however, create Opus 19: The Dreamer for Baryshnikov and NYCB favorite Patricia McBride ^[3][4] In 1980, he became Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre and his role changed from performer to director. See also American Ballet Theatre, based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century

Nevertheless, his fascination with the new has stood him in good stead. While his technique has lost its flash, his mastery of gesture and stagecraft remains compelling. As he observed, "It doesn't matter how high you lift your leg. The technique is about transparency, simplicity and making an earnest attempt. ”^[5] The White Oak Project was formed to create original work for older dancers. In a run ending just short of his 60th birthday in 2007, he appeared in a production of four short plays by Samuel Beckett staged by avant-garde director JoAnne Akalaitis. Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989 was an Irish Writer, Dramatist and poet JoAnne Akalaitis (born June 29, 1937) is an American Theatre director and a Writer and the winner of five Obie Awards for direction Joining discipline and charisma, he has fashioned an exceptionally long career and cast a long shadow over the contemporary dance world.

He has received three Honorary Degrees; on September 28, 2007 from Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University, on May 11, 2006, from New York University, and on May 23, 2008 from Montclair State University.

For the duration of the 2006 Summer, he went on tour with Hell's Kitchen Dance, which was sponsored by the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Featuring works by Baryshnikov Arts Center residents Azsure Barton and Benjamin Millipied, the company toured the United States and Spain.

In late August 2007 Baryshnikov performed Mats Ek's Place (original Swedish title, Ställe) with Ana Laguna at Dansens Hus in Stockholm. Mats Ek (born April 18, 1945) is a leading Swedish dance and Ballet Choreographer, dancer and stage director ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the

Film and television

Baryshnikov made his American television dancing debut in 1976, on the PBS program In Performance Live from Wolf Trap. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the During the Christmas season of 1977, CBS brought his highly acclaimed production at the American Ballet Theatre of Tchaikovsky's classic ballet The Nutcracker to television, and it has remained to this day the most popular and most often shown television production of the work. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The Nutcracker (Щелкунчик Shchelkunchik) Op 71 is a Fairy tale - Ballet in two acts three scenes by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky In addition to Baryshnikov in the title role, Gelsey Kirkland, and Alexander Minz and the dance company also starred. Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29 1952, Bethlehem Pennsylvania) is an American ballet dancer The production was videotaped in Canada. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page After being shown twice by CBS, it moved to PBS, where it was shown annually every Christmas season for many years. Some PBS stations still televise it annually. The DVD of the performance is a bestseller during the Christmas season. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Although Tchaikovsky's ballet has been presented on TV many times, the Baryshnikov version is one of only two versions of "The Nutcracker" to be nominated for an Emmy Award. The other dance nominated was Mark Morris' "The Hard Nut," his intentionally exaggerated and satirical version of the ballet. See also Mark Morris (born August 29, 1956) is an American Modern dancer Choreographer and director

Baryshnikov also performed in two Emmy-winning television specials, one on ABC-TV and one on CBS, in which he danced to music from Broadway and Hollywood, respectively. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located During the 1970s and 80s, he appeared many times with American Ballet Theatre on Live from Lincoln Center and Great Performances. Live from Lincoln Center is an ongoing series of musical performances produced by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with Thirteen/WNET Great Performances is a Television series devoted to the Performing arts and has been aired on the U Over the years, he has also appeared on several telecasts of the Kennedy Center Honors. The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to artists in the performing arts

Baryshnikov performed in his first film role soon after arriving in New York. He acted as the character Yuri Kopeikine, a famous Russian ballet dancer, in the 1977 film The Turning Point, for which he received an Oscar nomination . The year 1977 in film involved some significant events Events In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway The Turning Point ( 1977) was written by Arthur Laurents and directed by Herbert Ross. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Additionally, he co-starred with Gregory Hines in the 1985 film White Nights, choreographed by Twyla Tharp, and the 1987 film Dancers. Gregory Oliver Hines ( February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American Actor, Singer, Dancer Events 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films White Nights is a 1985 film starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Jerzy Skolimowski, Helen Mirren and Twyla Tharp (born July 1 1941) is a American Dancer and Choreographer. Dancers is a 1987 film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov as Tony and Julie Kent as Lisa In the last season of Sex and the City, he played Carrie Bradshaw's boyfriend, Aleksandr Petrovsky. Sex and the City was an American Cable television program The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004 for a Caroline Marie Bradshaw is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO Sitcom / Drama Sex and the City, played by actress

On November 2, 2006, Baryshnikov and chef Alice Waters were featured on an episode of the Sundance Channel's original series Iconoclasts. Alice Louise Waters (born April 28 1944 in Chatham, New Jersey) one of the best-known and most influential American Chefs since the 1970s is credited Sundance Channel is a Cable television network devoted to airing independent feature films, World cinema, documentaries, Short The two have a lifelong friendship. They discussed their lifestyles, sources of inspiration, and social projects that make them unique. During the program, Alice Waters visited Baryshnikov's Arts Center in New York City. The Hell's Kitchen Dance tour brought him to Berkeley to visit Alice Waters' restaurant Chez Panisse. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Chez Panisse is a Berkeley, California restaurant known as the birthplace of California cuisine, a style credited to its co-founder Alice Waters

On July 17, 2007, the PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer featured a profile of Baryshnikov and his Arts Center. For other uses see News Hour. The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer is an evening Television News program broadcast

Family

Baryshnikov has a daughter, Aleksandra Baryshnikova (born 1981), from his relationship with actress Jessica Lange. Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20 1949) is an American stage and screen actress who among many other accolades has won two Academy When Baryshnikov and Lange met, he was able to speak very little English. They had to communicate in French instead.

Baryshnikov is in a long-term relationship with former ballerina Lisa Rinehart. They have had three children together: Sofia, Anna, and Peter. In an interview with Larry King, Baryshnikov said that he didn't believe in marriage because the commitment that people make to each other didn't have anything to do with a legal marriage. Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an American television/radio host He stated that he wasn't religious, so standing in front of an altar would not mean anything to him. ^[6]

References

External links

• Mikhail Baryshnikov at the Internet Movie Database
• Mikhail Baryshnikov at Allmovie
• Baryshnikov Dance Foundation
• Kennedy Center Honors biography as of 2000
• Information community LJ devoted to Mikhail Baryshnikov
• Mikhail Baryshnikov entry in the Concise Encyclopedia Britannica
• Mikhail Baryshnikov entry in the Columbia Encyclopedia

Persondata
NAME	Baryshnikov, Mikhail Nikolaevitch
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Russian Ballet Dancer
DATE OF BIRTH	January 28, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH	Riga, Soviet Union
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

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