Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov was born a Russian citizen and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1986.

He was in a relationship with American actress Jessica Lange. The couple had a daughter in 1981, and was named Aleksandra Baryshnikova.

He is known to have had romantic relationships with former ballerinas Natalia Makarova and Gelsey Kirkland.

Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov was born on 28 January 1948, in Riga, Latvia, to Russian couple Nikolay Baryshnikov, an engineer, and Alexandra, a dressmaker. At that time, Latvia was part of the Soviet Union.

He had a difficult childhood as he did not get along well with his father and his mother committed suicide during his early teenage years. However, later he drew inspiration from his father’s discipline, manners and military habits.

He began taking lessons in ballet dancing at the age of 11. In 1964, he joined a school of classical ballet named the Vaganova School in Leningrad. He got the opportunity to learn from the well-known choreographer Alexander Pushkin.

In 1966, he won the gold medal in the junior division at the Varna International Ballet Competition which is one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.

In 1967, Mikhail Baryshnikov joined the Kirov Ballet as a soloist. His performance and technique was well appreciative and thus he did not have to undergo the routine apprenticeship. He made his first stage performance with ‘Giselle’.

Taking note of his versatility and perfection in technique, several choreographers choreographed ballet performances for him. In this manner he has worked with artists Igor Tchernichov, Oleg Vinogradov, Leonid Jakobson and Konstantin Sergeyev.

Later, as he became the premier danseur noble of Kirov Ballet he played the leading roles in ‘Gorianka’ (1968) and ‘Vestris’ (1969). The roles that he depicted in these performances were exclusively choreographed for him and went on to be among his signature pieces.

He was very well-known among Soviet audiences, however, he was growing uncomfortable with several restrictions that were imposed on him like the ban on his performance of contemporary foreign ballet.

In 1974, in the midst of a dancing tour in Canada with Kirov Ballet, he requested refuge in Toronto, stating that he would not go back to the USSR. He subsequently joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

In 1999, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He was awarded the National Medal of Arts by the United States Congress in 2000.

In 2003, he was awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse by the International Dance Association in Moscow for lifetime achievement.

In 2012, he received the Vilcek Prize in Dance by the Vilcek Foundation.

He is the recipient of honorary degrees from prestigious universities like the New York University (2006), Shenandoah University (2007) and Montclair State University (2008).