Mikhail Baryshnikov Quotes

A collection of quotes by Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Mikhail Baryshnikov is a renowned Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. Born on January 27, 1948, in Riga, Latvia, he rose to prominence as a principal dancer with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, before defecting to the West in 1974. Baryshnikov became a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and later served as the artistic director for the American Ballet Theatre and the White Oak Dance Project. He is widely recognized for his technical prowess, versatility, and contributions to the world of dance.

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasur

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure

Mikhail Baryshnikov


I was very restless. I really wanted to be a part of a kind

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


People of art should never get married and have children, be

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

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Art

People dance at any age.

People dance at any age.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Age

Your body actually reminds you about your age and your injur

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

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Age

I think art education, especially in this country, which gov

I think art education, especially in this country, which government pretty much ignores, is so important for young people.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Art

You cannot be happy with your family while being personally

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

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Family

I like to go to anybody else's birthday, and if I'm invited

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

We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that doesn'

We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that doesn't stop us from wiping it away with a wet sponge. The Divine doesn't disappear; it's transformed into the clean surface.

Paulo Coelho


When I'm alone, I work sometimes with music, sometimes witho

When I'm alone, I work sometimes with music, sometimes without and sometimes just listening to NPR.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Alone

No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all sh

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

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Business

I am not the first straight dancer or the last.

I am not the first straight dancer or the last.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Dance Dancing

My mother had a son from previous marriage and her husband d

My mother had a son from previous marriage and her husband died in Second World War.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Marriage