Mikhail Baryshnikov Quotes

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Mikhail Baryshnikov

Profession : Dancer

Birth : January 27, 1948

I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I would like to go and dance in Palestine one day, with great pleasure, great pleasure.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

When a body moves, it's the most revealing thing. Dance for me a minute, and I'll tell you who you are.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Astaire was not a sexual animal, but he made his partners look so extraordinarily related to him.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

People dance at any age.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Dancers are made, not born.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I was not extremely patriotic about Mother Russia. I played their game, pretending. You have to deal with, you know, party people, KGB. Horrifying.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Every ballet, whether or not successful artistically or with the public, has given me something important.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

The more injuries you get, the smarter you get.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I was very restless. I really wanted to be a part of a kind of a progressive society. I was fed up with these Communist doctrines and you were hassled all the time with members of the Party committee who were KGB, what you have to do, where in the West you can go or not to go.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

People of art should never get married and have children, because it's a selfish experience.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I'm a product of Russian culture, but I never felt it was my country.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

The body cannot lie. You cannot be somebody else onstage, no matter how good of an actor or dancer or singer you are. When you open your arms, move your finger, the audience knows who you are, you know.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

My mother had a son from previous marriage and her husband died in Second World War.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I am a performer. I go on stage and make a fool of myself.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I want to do exactly what I want to do. I'd rather gamble on the box office than beg for a grant.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Your heart is very much connected to your mind.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

I've always said, 'I am a selector, I am not defector' - the first few phrases in English I learned. I said I hate 'defector'; something defective about the people. It's a bad word.

Mikhail Baryshnikov