Since defecting from the Soviet Union in 1974, Mikhail Baryshnikov has danced with the greatest American choreographers, led American Ballet Theatre, started his own troupe (White Oak Dance Project), and appeared in movies and on television. But he is perhaps most proud of the interdisciplinary art center that bears his name, now celebrating its 20th year. Tanz writer Wendy Perron interviewed him in New York.
I want to start with you as a dancer. You have evolved from classical to contemporary and beyond. In what ways do you listen to your body?
The appetite for something new is always there, but it comes down to my availability to move without compromises. The body speaks loud and strong on that point.
You’ve also performed as an actor in works by Anton Chekhov and Joseph Brodsky, ...
