Before he became a global dance icon, Mikhail Baryshnikov was a rising star trapped behind the Iron Curtain. His gravity-defying leaps and emotional artistry stunned audiences — but it was one real-life leap that changed everything.

In this episode of The Rest of the Story, I take you through Baryshnikov’s extraordinary journey: from early loss and Soviet acclaim to a high-stakes defection and a career that would transform ballet forever. We’ll cover his time with American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet, and his collaborations with legends like Twyla Tharp, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine.

From revolutionary performances to an Oscar-nominated film debut, discover how Baryshnikov reshaped the world of dance — and what it cost him to do it.

Conceived, starring, written, and researched by: Miller Daurey

Watch the ep on YouTube for full effect!

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P.S. This episode is re-scripted from an earlier version — as I'm currently redoing my first initial episodes from The Rest of the Story series because they originally didn't have video / photos of the subjects (for YouTube / Spotify). But I have to keep the episode numbers aligned via all platforms. Regardless, the script is better and worthy of a listen, even if you've heard it the first time!