Mikhail Baryshnikov Biography

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Dancer and choreographer widely considered the best male classical dancer of the 20th century. Baryshnikov defected to Canada in 1974 and danced with the American Ballet Theatre (1974–78) and the New York City Ballet (1978–79). He has performed in Swan Lake, Medea and Push Comes to Shove, which Twyla Tharp created for him. He is also involved in modern dance and leads his own modern-dance company, The White Oak Dance Project. He appeared in the films The Turning Point (1977), Giselle (1977), and White Nights (1985).