On Their Toes

The former Soviet Union produced two of the world’s most famous
ballet performers, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Ballet dancing
is a classical form of dance that traces its roots to Italian royalty in the
1500s. Ballet is characterized by combining classic dance movements into
a fluid and graceful performance. These movements include high leg
positions while dancers are balanced on the tips of their toes. There are
many pieces of world renowned classical music that were written to
accompany ballet dancing. Ballet movements have become an important part of modern
dance as performed by prominent artistic dance troupes today.
Rudolf Nureyev was born in 1938 in Siberia. Growing up during World War II, Nureyev
could not enter ballet studies at the Leningrad Choreographic School until 1955. He then
danced with the Kirov Ballet but, when an international tour was scheduled for the dance
troupe, Nureyev was considered too rebellious to represent the ideals of the ruling Communist
Party abroad. Nureyev did not dance outside the Soviet Union until 1961 when his violation of
Soviet rules while performing in Paris led to threats against his life by Soviet rulers. While in Paris
he defected from the Soviet Union.
Nureyev quickly gained an international reputation and maintained his role as a top
ballet dancer until 1980 when his strength and health began to fail. Beginning in 1983 he
worked as the director of the Paris Opera Ballet while continuing to perform. Nureyev died in
1992.
Mikhail Baryshnikov was born in the country of Latvia in 1948 when the country was
part of the Soviet Union. When he was twelve he began learning ballet and four years later
he was attending ballet school in St. Petersburg, Russia and winning international dance
competitions.
Baryshnikov was invited to join the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet and while on tour in
Canada in 1974, he defected from the Soviet Union, seeking political asylum in Canada.
Soon he was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and in 1986 he became a
naturalized American citizen. Baryshnikov became a household name during the extended
Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1980 Baryshnikov traded his role
as dancer to become Artistic Director of the American Ballet Theatre. Baryshnikov
occasionally still dances and his 1977 televised performance of The Nutcracker is an
American holiday favorite.

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