Baryshnikov: The Making of the G.O.A.T

Video Description

Thanks to Stephen Nelson for helpful comments on various aspects of Russian training. Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the most celebrated dancers in history. His defection from the Soviet Union in 1974 made headlines, launching an illustrious career in the West and making him a pop culture icon. His performances were breathtaking, combining preeminent athleticism with uncanny dramatic timing. But how did Baryshnikov become the G.O.A.T. of the dance world? This video focuses on his early training in the Soviet Union. His skills were honed by a legendary teacher at the Vaganova Ballet Academy: Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin was a father figure to Baryshnikov—perhaps the most important person in his early life next to his mother. This video examines this relationship, along with an analysis of Baryshnikov’s dancing in his early days when he was in his late teens and early 20s. Video Sources Baryshnikov Don Quixote Variations Before 1971: Mikhail Baryshnikov - Four Performances in ‘Don Quixote’ (Before 1974), @joahhall3873 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hotPip2rPg Kirov Men's Class with Puskin: Vaganova Academy CLASS of A. PUSHKIN, @juanjosefarina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s9TftmdFjY Baryshnikov Pushkin Vaganovskoe, @natalies9233 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVR-cFGmTWE Baryshnikov American Ballet Theatre Don Quixote DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Quixote-Baryshnikov-Harvey-American-Theatre/dp/B00008AORE Baryshnikov Live at Wolf Trap: https://www.amazon.com/Baryshnikov-Live-at-Wolf-Trap/dp/B0002VGTX4 Patricia McBride & Mikhail Baryshnikov / Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux / New York City Ballet, @catshinjp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLdEPBPXxBY&t=297s A Beautiful Tragedy Documentary: @MoonAton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRV_opHbxcE The Dancer and the Dance Documentary: @Demux https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9piDxc-CWiE Biographical Information Substantial information in this video on Baryshnikov and Putin came from an informative article by Joan Acocella, "How Ballet Saved Baryshnikov," New Yorker, January 12, 1998. Also, Clive Barnes 1970 obituary of Pushkin in The New York Times, "Aleksandr I. Pushkin, 62, Dies; Leading Ballet Teacher in Soviet," March 26, 1970. The quote on Pushkin being like a gardener came from "Red Star White Nights, The Life and Death of Yuri Soloviev," Joel Lobenthal and Lisa Whitaker, Ballet Review Books, 2019. There is a biography on Pushkin that is out of print, "Alexander Pushkin: Master Teacher of Dance" by Gennady Albert and Antonia Bouis, with a forward by Baryshnikov. Unfortunately, the only seller I could find was on Amazon at a price of $185. Photos Photos of Agrippina Vaganova from the Vaganova website: https://vaganovaacademy.ru/index/eng.html Students of the Imperial Ballet School photographed in costumes for Marius Petipa's ballet "A Fairy Tale". Kneeling to the right and holding the birdcage is a young Anna Pavlova, 1898, Wikimedia Russischer Photograph: Eine Klasse der kaiserlichen Ballettschule, in der Tänzerinnen für das Mariinskij-(jetzt Kirow-) Theater ausgebildet wurden [2], Wikimedia. Architect Rossi street (Saint-Petersburg, Russia), July 2008, Potekhin, Wikimedia. Mariinsky Theatre main building, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2022, Nikolai Bulykin, Wikimedia George Balanchine (Nutcracker Souvenir Book 1954).png, Wikimedia. Cropped photographic postcard of the danseur Vaslav Nijinsky (1889-1950) costumed as the God Vayou in the dancer/choreographer/teacher Nikolai Legat's (1869-1937) revival of the choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910) and the composer Riccardo Drigo's (1846-1930) ballet Le Talisman. Wikimedia. Photo of Rudolf Nureyev (left) and Alexander Pushkin (right), Wikimedia. Photo of Nureyev and Pushkin, with Natalia Komkova and Alla Sizova, Almay, ARCHIVIO GBB Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in The Swan by Mikhail Fokine, Berlin. 1908, Wikimedia Ballet Terms Attitude-A position on one leg with the other lifted and knee bent Chassé-A step in which one foot chaises the other foot out of position. Double Carbriole Derrière-Two beats to the back Double Tour en l'air-A leap off of two feet with two turns in the air Pirouette en Dehors-Outward turn with legs in retiré position (foot to the knee) Grand Pirouette à la Seconde (turns in second position)-turns with one leg extended at 90 degrees. A popular turn series for men. Relevé-A raising of the body on demi-point Retiré-A position in which the thigh is raised to the second position en l’air with the knee bent so that the pointed toe rests in front of, behind or to the side of the supporting knee. Also referred to as Passé. Saut de Basque-A traveling step in which the dancer turns in the air (1-3 turns) with one foot drawn up to the knee of the other leg. The left leg brushes in the air with take off from the right; the right leg goes to retiré, then landing on the left leg.