Rare photos of world famous dancer in ‘Baryshnikov by me’ exhibition

Born in Latvia in a Russian family, Mikhail Baryshnikov from 1967 until 1974 was the principal dancer of the Kirov ballet company in Russia (now Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg). During a tour, he defected to Canada in 1974.

Later Baryshnikov moved to the United States, where he went on to become a real star as the principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, later becoming the troupe's artistic director and ballet master.

“I just got a message from my closest friends that if I had any doubts and wanted to stay, they would help me…” the dancer revealed in an interview with Larry King in 2002.

Mikhail Baryshnikov has never returned to Russia since his defection. He rarely gives interviews, but now Russians have a chance to see the might, beauty and strength of this famous dancer.

He also pursued a successful film-acting career. The most famous role he played was Alexandr Petrovsky, the Russian boyfriend of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw in the last season of 'Sex and the City'.