Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov defected from the Kirov Ballet in Toronto in 1974 and proceeded to become the most technically complete male dancer the West had ever witnessed -- his elevation, speed, and precision setting a new global benchmark. He served as artistic director of American Ballet Theatre from 1980-1989, transforming it into one of the world's great companies, and later co-founded the White Oak Dance Project to explore contemporary forms. His 1977 film The Turning Point earned him an Academy Award nomination and introduced ballet to a generation of cinema-goers who had never entered an opera house.