Mikhail Baryshnikov Quotes

Powerful Mikhail Baryshnikov for Daily Growth

About Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov, born on January 27, 1948, in Riga, Latvia (then part of the Soviet Union), is a renowned dancer, choreographer, and actor who transcended traditional boundaries to become a versatile artist of unparalleled grace and charisma. Raised in a ballet family, Baryshnikov's natural talent was nurtured at the Leningrad Choreographic School. At just 18, he joined the Kirov Ballet Company, where he quickly rose to prominence, demonstrating an extraordinary blend of technical precision and emotional depth. In 1974, Baryshnikov defected from the Soviet Union during a tour in Toronto, Canada. His defection marked a turning point in his career, as it allowed him to dance with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and later form the White Oak Dance Project, showcasing his innovative choreography. Baryshnikov's collaborations with renowned artists like Twyla Tharp expanded the realm of contemporary dance. His performances in films such as "The Turning Point" and "White Nights" further cemented his status as a global cultural icon. In addition to his dance career, Baryshnikov has also pursued a successful acting career on stage and screen, including roles in television series like "Twin Peaks" and films like "The Moscow Stories." Throughout his life, Baryshnikov has been influenced by diverse cultures and artistic expressions. His work is characterized by its fluidity, passion, and willingness to take risks, inspiring generations of dancers and artists around the world. Today, he continues to perform, choreograph, and act, leaving an indelible mark on the worlds of dance, theater, and film.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of man."

Mikhail Baryshnikov's quote suggests that dance is a means to express emotions, thoughts, and feelings that are often difficult to put into words. It implies that through dance, one can communicate profound aspects of their inner self, tapping into the deepest parts of human experience. This hidden language, in turn, transcends cultural barriers, making dance a universal form of communication and connection among people.


"I think dance can be a very spiritual and meditative experience. It's a way to communicate something that can't be put into words."

Mikhail Baryshnikov's quote highlights the profound, intangible nature of dance as an art form. He suggests that beyond its physical execution, dance embodies a spiritual and meditative aspect that transcends the limitations of verbal expression. This implies that through the graceful movement of the body, dancers can express emotions, ideas, or feelings that defy written or spoken language. Dance, in this context, serves as a universal medium for humans to connect with one another on a deeper level, bridging gaps between cultures and individuals.


"To make art, you have to be a little insane."

This quote by Mikhail Baryshnikov suggests that the drive, passion, and dedication required to create exceptional art often necessitate an unconventional, non-conformist mindset. It implies that those who push boundaries in their artistic pursuits may exhibit a level of determination or singular focus that others might perceive as "insane." This perspective underscores the idea that groundbreaking art is born from the fusion of extraordinary talent, relentless perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to one's vision.


"Dance is the essence of what I am all about. I'm a dancer, not an actor pretending to dance or a choreographer pretending to be a dancer."

This quote emphasizes Mikhail Baryshnikov's deep identification with the art of dancing, asserting that he is primarily a dancer rather than an actor imitating dance or a choreographer mimicking being a dancer. It underscores his passion, dedication, and self-perception as a dancer at heart.


"Dancing is like bank robbery – if you have to think about it, it's over."

Mikhail Baryshnikov suggests that the art of dance, like a skilled bank robbery, requires a level of mastery where one must act instinctively and spontaneously, without conscious thought. When dancers are fully immersed in their performance, they should be so attuned to their bodies and the music that their movements flow naturally, unhindered by deliberation or self-consciousness. A successful dance, like a flawless bank robbery, appears effortless and spontaneous.


I cannot belong to a nonprofit organization because when you receive grants, you have to make such great compromises with your artistic plans.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Nonprofit, Grants, Receive, Compromises

The Russian people get so insanely close to each other as friends. Their lives are interrelated so much on an everyday basis.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Other, Russian, Lives, Interrelated

I found that dance, music, and literature is how I made sense of the world... it pushed me to think of things bigger than life's daily routines... to think beyond what is immediate or convenient.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Think, Bigger, Made, Convenient

To achieve some depth in your field requires a lot of sacrifices. Want to or not, you're thinking about what you're doing in life-in my case, dancing.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Dancing, Some, Sacrifices, Depth

I'm an impatient person in many respects. I like to put myself in uncomfortable situations. It forces me to deliver.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Myself, Like, Impatient, Many Respects

I was very restless. I really wanted to be a part of a kind of a progressive society. I was fed up with these Communist doctrines and you were hassled all the time with members of the Party committee who were KGB, what you have to do, where in the West you can go or not to go.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Restless, Communist, Very, Progressive

Dance is one of the most revealing art forms.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Art, Most, Revealing, Art Forms

I remember vividly seeing 'Tarzan' and Fred Astaire, the Chaplin films, Fred Astaire musicals, MGM, because of my mother. She was just interested in everything and she took me to opera and ballet, and then ballet got me hooked.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Opera, I Remember, Hooked, MGM

My father was a Party member and he was a pretty high rank military officer under the colonel, junior colonel, I don't know the term. He was a total Stalinist. A bit with a streak of anti-Semitism and very shrewd man, a very kind of nervous man.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Father, Very, Officer, Junior

I have been very lucky to work in so many new ballets, but that is what a dancer's work is.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Lucky, Very, Dancer, Ballets

No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Business, Been, Dancer, Fred

We lived, until I was 12 or so, in communal apartment with five different families and the same kitchen, in two little - my brother and me and my parents. It was hell, but it was a common thing. My father was not general or admiral, but he was colonel. He was teaching in military academy military topography.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Father, Two, Teaching, Communal

I want to do exactly what I want to do. I'd rather gamble on the box office than beg for a grant.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Gamble, Rather, Beg, Grant

Now there is in a way a renaissance of modern dance - suddenly, it is more respected and discovered.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Modern, More, Discovered, Respected

I go a lot to see young people downtown in little theaters. It's great. If you start somebody's career, it's so exciting.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Career, Young, Go, Theaters

I don't see in myself any perfection.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Myself, See, Any, Perfection

Everything I do, it's a bit painterly. I like being surrounded by objects, mostly on paper. I like the images. I like the painting. I like good photography. It's something that makes me an emotional connection, and I feel comfortable around it.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Surrounded, Mostly, Images, Painterly

You cannot be happy with your family while being personally unhappy with your work. It's a Catch-22 kind of thing.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Work, Happy, Kind, Catch-22

I like to go to anybody else's birthday, and if I'm invited I'm a good guest. But I never celebrate my birthdays. I really don't care.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Birthday, Celebrate, Like, Birthdays

People of art should never get married and have children, because it's a selfish experience.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Art, Children, Never, Get Married

I cannot draw to save my life, and I'm not a big art scholar, but I worked with many designers throughout my career - in theater, in dance, costume designers, set designers, and I have a lot of artist friends and I do photography, and I think it's kind of in my life.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

My Life, Career, Big, Costume

Your body actually reminds you about your age and your injuries - the body has a stronger memory than your mind.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Memory, Mind, Injuries, Reminds

I don't drink milk, and I don't eat bread, pasta or rice. But I eat a lot of meat, chicken, fish and salads.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Bread, Chicken, Milk, Salads

I kind of lost interest in the classical dance. I was very much interested in the modern choreography.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Modern, Interest, Very, Choreography

It's weird when you see pieces of choreography that were done for you 15 or 20 years ago and now they are being done by another dance company.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Done, Another, Being, Choreography

In any art form, in Hollywood or in music, there is a handful of people who really, you know, move the envelope.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Art, Hollywood, Move, Envelope

Astaire was not a sexual animal, but he made his partners look so extraordinarily related to him.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Partners, His, Related, Extraordinarily

I was always interested in photography and other forms of art.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Art, Always, Other, Forms

I would like to go and dance in Palestine one day, with great pleasure, great pleasure.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Like, Palestine, Would, Great Pleasure

You see, dancers are quite mature people because they start performing so early. They become professionals when they start to take everyday classes.

- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mature, Dancers, Performing, Everyday

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