was born in Riga, Latvia, of Russian parents. He began studying ballet in Riga, and after a few years, was accepted by the Vaganova School in Leningrad where he studied under the renowned teacher Alexander Pushkin. At 18, he entered the Kirov Ballet as a soloist and remained with the company from 1968 to 1974, when he left Russia. From 1974 to 1979, he danced with ballet and modern companies around the world. He was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet from 1979 to 1980, and from 1980 until 1989 he was Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre. In 1990, with Mark Morris, Mr. Baryshnikov founded White Oak Dance Project. He is the 1997 recipient of a New York Dance and Performance Award ("Bessie"). He received both the Kennedy Center Honor nad the National Medal of Arts in 2000.