Baryshnikov's Impact On America

In the 20th century, the chaos of war was overwhelming. Both World War I and World War II occurred, leaving countries in debt and pain. When the disarray of World War II was starting to wear off, the Soviet people were still recovering. The Soviet Union was in deep economic and social problems from World War I, and after another war, the quality of life was not as extraordinary as it once was. Josef Stalin enforced stricter laws than ever before so that he could stay in power over his people. Terror from imprisonment, exile, and execution filled the USSR. Then, Nikita Khrushchev came to power and led the Soviet Union into the Cold War. Fear now came from overseas because the USSR and the United States, who were enemies, began to build their

First of all, when he defected, he shed a light on how crude and miserable living in Russia was at the time. Although people knew about the conditions, this was illuminated when someone as popular as Baryshnikov decided to risk his life to abandon the USSR. Next, it inspired people to push past their hardships and become the best they could be. Not only did Baryshnikov survive ballet school, he also defected from Russia, and started a new life in America. Male and female ballerinas both have to endure schooling which can overpower his/her life. It is stressful enough to exceed what the teachers demand from their students, but this is what Baryshnikov did. He impressed his teachers with his jumps and his technique. He also had the stress of moving to a new country. It would be hard to perform with something as big as defecting hanging over your head. Baryshnikov additionally did not have any family to support his decisions. It is difficult to dive head first into the unknown with no one to encourage you. All of those factors show how strong Baryshnikov is and how he inspires people to be strong too. Finally, he influenced the American Ballet Theater. When he first was accepted in the company, he showed a new way of performing. It was fresh and motivating to the other dancers. Later, when he became the Artistic Director, he was able to influence more people; both his dancers and the audience. Later in life, when he created the White Oak Dance Project, he proved that anyone can do anything. The dancers were only slightly past their prime, but they created beautiful dances. The legacy of Baryshnikov shows how to work through hardships and how he affected the world of