Influential Male Dancers Who Broke The Stereotypes In Ballet
Throughout the years, ballet has become one of the most charismatic dance forms. It has captivated many around the world with its elegance and complex movements. Their dazzling performance has even captured the hearts of the young ones. With the growing interest of little dancers, ballet for kids is made available from as young as toddlers.
It is undoubtedly that many talented dancers have left an impressionable performance. But there are those who made their own mark in the history of ballet, some of whom are male ballet dancers. Read on to know more about these influential ballet dancers and how they inspire little dancing dudes to take on ballet for kids.
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the more prominent ballet dancers of the 20th century. Having choreographed numerous iconic pieces, the Russian-American dancer has created a name for himself in the industry. His career started with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad and over time, he made many movie appearances.
Misha, as he was fondly called, was a short dancer. Even when dancing pointe, his frame puts him at a disadvantage as he was shorter than ballerinas. Therefore, he was mostly getting secondary notes and the restrictive traditions at the USSR frustrate him.
In 1974, he defected to Canada in search of more opportunities in Western dance. After dancing with American Ballet Theatre, he joined New York City Ballet as a principal dancer. This has allowed him to work closely with George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Misha later returned to American Ballet Theatre as the artistic director, where he recruited a batch of new dancers and choreographers.
After his work at the American Ballet Theatre, he began a new journey as the co-founder of the White Oak Dance Project. Here, Misha focused on older dancers and produced original work specially for the group. In 2003, he won the Prix Benois de la Dance for lifetime achievement. Currently, Misha works at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York, where he produces various types of ballet. The company also performs on tour in various parts of the world.
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev was regarded by some as the greatest male ballet dancer of his generation. Rudolf spent his childhood in the capital of the Soviet Republic of Bashkir, Ufa. In 1955, he joined the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad and trained under Alexander Pushkin. Later, he joined the school as a soloist and made his debut as pas de trois in Swan Lake.
In 1961, he moved to France and met Erik Bruhn who was the principal dancer at Royal Danish Ballet. Together, they left for Copenhagen and began performing with Margot Fonteyn. He became an international dancer when he performed Act III from La Bayadere.
Rudolf rose to fame after he was invited to dance as a guest star for major ballet companies in Europe, the States, and Australia. Since then, he started experimenting with many different styles. This results in him reconstructing classic tales like Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and Raymond. Additionally, he also choreographed Tancredi and Manfred.
Rudolf held the position as the director of the Paris Opera Ballet for 6 years. He performed for a few more years after he passed on at the age of 54.
Sergei Polunin
Sergei Polunin is a professional 30-year-old ballet dancer and considered one of the youngest faces in the world of ballet. He was appointed as the principal dancer at the Royal Ballet of London at the young age of 19.
Sergei graduated from the Kyiv Choreographic Academy and later joined the British Royal Ballet School. He received numerous accolades including the Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix, and was named the Young British Dancer of the Year.
He became a soloist at the age of 19 and was praised for his portrayal of the Knave in Alice in Wonderland. Sergei began a freelance career in hopes to channel his creativity and work as a guest dancer in several ballet companies. He recently started Project Polunin to produce original works of ballet. He aims to recruit more diverse artists into the company and create interesting ballet pieces.
