Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov (born January 27, 1948) is a Latvian and American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He was the preeminent male classical ballet dancer of the 1970s and 1980s. He subsequently became a noted dance director.
Born into a Russian family in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union, Baryshnikov had a promising start in the Kirov Ballet before defecting to Canada in 1974 for more opportunities in Western dance. After dancing with the American Ballet Theatre, he joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer for one season to learn about George Balanchine's neoclassical Russian style of movement. Baryshnikov then returned to the American Ballet Theatre, where he later became artistic director. He 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.
Baryshnikov's success as a dramatic actor on stage, cinema, and television has helped him become probably the most widely recognized contemporary ballet dancer. He starred in the films The Turning Point (1977)—for which he received nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award—and White Nights (1985), and had a recurring role in the last season of the television series Sex and the City.
Baryshnikov never returned to the Soviet Union after his defection. He has been a naturalized citizen of the United States since 1986. He often returned to Latvia after the country declared independence in 1990. In 2017, Latvia granted him citizenship for extraordinary merit.
