Baryshnikov

by Gennady Smakov

Release Date: May, 1982

Edition: Paperback

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Interesting Life of a Fascinating Star

The telling of the story itself is not as interesting as the man himself. It is told very objectively, and if you want a well-written biography of a dancer, I suggest Bernard Taper's "Balanchine." But Smakov's telling suffices to portray the life of Latvia-born Barshynikov, who defected from the Communist USSR to become one of the greatest dancers of all time, dancing for American Ballet Theater initially, then, yearning for a chance to work with George Balanchine, switching to New York City Ballet. The book itself is a bit dated, seeing as it has no account of Barshnikov's founding of the White Oak Dance Project, which thrives today as a monumental collaboration of the some of the best modern dancers around today.