January 27
Born Today:
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Perhaps the most famous dancer of the 20th century, Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-) trained at the Vaganova School and danced with the Kirov Ballet before defecting to Canada in 1974, causing a sensation when he began dancing with the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in the 1970s. His charismatic performances in film and on TV contributed to the ‘ballet boom’ that lasted into the 1980s. He appeared in dance films The Turning Point (1977) and White Nights (1985) and he directed ABT from 1980-1989. In the 1990s, he switched gears to only performing modern and contemporary works with the White Oak Dance Project, co-founded by Mark Morris (1956-). In 2005 he established the Baryshnikov Arts Center to support dance and emerging choreographers.
Also Born Today: Ballet dancer Nikolai Fadeyechev (1933-2020) performed with the Bolshoi Ballet from 1952-1977 and upon retiring from the stage, he coached the next generation of Russian ballet dancers including Sergei Fillin (1970-). Ballet dancer Frank Augustyn (1953-) danced with the National Ballet of Canada and later produced TV programs on ballet history.
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Ballet Premiere: Swan Lake in 1895