The Artist
Mikhail Baryshnikov was born of Russian parents, in Riga, Latvia, where he began studying ballet. He was accepted by the Vaganova School in Leningrad and studied under the renowned teacher Alexander Pushkin. At 18, he entered the Kirov Ballet as a soloist and remained with the company from 1968 to 1974, when he left Russia. From 1974 to 1979, he danced with ballet and modern companies around the world. He was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet from 1979 to 1980, and from 1980 until 1989 he was artistic director of American Ballet Theatre. From 1990 to 2002, Mr. Baryshnikov was director and dancer with the White Oak Dance Project, which he co-founded with choreographer Mark Morris. His most recent awards are the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, the Commonwealth Award, Yale University's highest honor –- the Chubb Fellowship, and The Jerome Robbins' Award. He has starred in several films and has appeared in television and on Broadway. Presently, he is involved in creating the Baryshnikov Arts Center, scheduled to open in Fall 2005 in New York City.