Mikhail Baryshnikov was born in Latvia in 1948. Baryshnikov was a very talented and respected dancer of the Soviet Union during the late 20th century, Baryshnikov was a favorite of many in the USSR. Unfortunately, he couldn't reciprocate those same feelings. He moved from the Soviet Union to Canada in 1974 before moving to the United States in hopes of having a better opportunity to express himself creatively in a free country. His technique transcended any cultural barriers experienced during immigration, as Americans loved his technical excellence and grace as a dancer just as much as the Soviets. Baryshnikov worked with the American Ballet Theater until 1978 before becoming its artistic director in the 1980s. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov was born on January 27, 1948 in Riga, Latvia, to Russian parents Nikolay Baryshnikov, an engineer, and Alexandra, a seamstress. At the time, Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, at the height of the Cold War. He had a difficult childhood as he and his father never got along and as a teenager his mother committed suicide. However, later, when he grew up, he began to draw inspiration from his father's discipline, military ways and habits. At the age of 9 she began taking ballet lessons. In 1964 he joined the classical ballet school called Vaganova School in Leningrad. He had the opportunity to learn from the famous choreographer Alexander Pushkin. In 1967 Baryshnikov made his stage debut with the Kirov Ballet in Giselle. Baryshnikov achieved his first major honor in 1966, winning a gold medal at the ballet competition in Varna, Bulgaria, and won another gold medal at the First International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1969. Baryshnikov's fame began to grow; he amazes the audience with his technical skill and physical expressiveness. By the end of the 1960s he was one of the most famous dancers in the Soviet Union. In 1967, Mikhail Baryshnikov joined the Kirov Ballet as a soloist. His performance and excellent technique were well-worn and therefore he did not have to undergo the routine apprenticeship that many others did. He made his first stage performance with Giselle. Taking note of his versatility and technical perfection, several choreographers have choreographed ballet performances just for him. He worked equally with great artists such as: Igor Tchernichov, Oleg Vinogradov, Leonid Jakobson and Konstantin Sergeyev. Subsequently, he became the principal noble dancer of the Kirov Ballet, performing the leading roles in Gorianka in 1968 and Vestris in 1969. The roles he performed in these performances were choreographed exclusively for him to showcase his technical ability and became his signature. pieces. He was well known among Soviet audiences, yet he felt uncomfortable with the numerous restrictions placed on him, such as a ban on performing in contemporary foreign ballets. In 1974, following a performance by the Bolshoi Ballet of Toronto with the Kirov Ballet, he sought refuge in Toronto seeking greater personal and creative freedom, stating that he would not return to the USSR. He later explained his departure from his home country to the New Statesman, saying: "I'm an individualist and that's a crime there." As a result he joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In the two years he spent in Canada, he had the opportunity to work with several creative choreographers and explore the combination of traditional and contemporary techniques. During this time he danced as a freelance artist with famous choreographers and companies such as Alvin Ailey, Glen Tetley, Twyla Tharp and Jerome..