Day 5 - 180 -- Dancing into History

On this day in 1974 -- 44 years ago -- history was made when a young dancer from the USSR defected to Canada after a performance in Toronto. He stated the reason for leaving his homeland as purely artistic in nature -- the desire to dance with greater depth and breadth of material. Mikhail Baryshnikov danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada before moving to New York city to dance with the American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet. He worked as principal dancer with the great choreographer George Balanchine , much of his time there working with the prima ballerina Gelsey Kirkland. He later became the artistic director of the NYC Ballet. His later career has involved dancing with many modern dance troupes. I was sorely disappointed when I was reading a newspaper while in Regina for meetings, only to learn that the evening before the meeting he had danced there with the White Oak Project -- a brainchild of Mark Morris. I missed seeing him dance live by just >< this much.

Baryshnikov has starred in many acting roles -- on Broadway, in movies and on television. Many may remember him as the Russian in Sex and the City. He also played dance roles in the movies The Turning Point and White Nights. He received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for the former film. His focus on avant garde and modern dance has been carried  throughout his career.

With one major life choice, this dancer explored his strengths and shared the outcome with the world. He has been called one of the best male ballet dancers of all time -- along with other Russians Nijinsky, Nureyev and Vasiliev. I've only seen him on film from his earliest roles in the Nutcracker to more modern roles with Balanchine and Morris. I wasn't sure what song to share, but two came to mind. Each was the base for choreography by Twila Tharp for White Nights. She worked with music and the personal styles and strengths of Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines to produce duets and solo pieces. I've included two here today. The first is a wonderful duet that showcases the similarities and differences between the two dancers. The second has been used long ago in this blog and highlights the strength and artistic abilities of Baryshnikov in a solo piece. I'm throwing in a third segment from the same movie to show more of the strength of Baryshnikov. I strongly recommend listening to the full song for the film clip here. Enjoy!

Note: the movie also starred Helen Mirren and Isabella Rosselini.

Prove me Wrong -- David Pack (duet with Baryshnikov and Hines)

Koni (Horses) by Vysostky - (Baryshnikov dancing solo)

The Bet for 11 Rubles -- My Love is Chemical -- Lou Reed