Baryshnikov in the movie, White Night(1985)

[dancesport]

This has always been my favorite scene/ moment. Thanks a lot for sharing

[Sunflowergardens]

I love how we always lets himself be completely consumed by the dance. Whatever he's dancing he plays the part to the full.

[jacquie50]

how wonderfull film!!!

[ilovenightcrawler]

Amazing :D I would be hurting for a VERY long time if I did that.

[Cre8tvMG]

@ilovenightcrawler I would be DEAD for a very long time if I did that!

[MolotovRooster]

Is that Leningrad playing?

[ParisSunset]

He is fantastic, and Helen Mirren still looks beautiful 26 years later.

[greeyesu]

wonderful!

But I wonder why there is a (I think) woman in the background at 1:04?

[TwinkleToes841]

You can just feel the passion when he is dancing. I can't even imaging seeing him live.

[jpd9355]

what is the name of the russian song and who is the artist that sings it?

[addyduss]

@jpd9355 Владимир Высоцкий - Чуть помедленнее, кони

Vladimir Vysotsky - Slow down, horses

[Wiggo74]

@jpd9355 vladimir vysotskij  songwriter/artist who wrote alot of songs that was very critical of the sovjet union. Although later thrown in jail for just this, he was still considered one of russias greatest songwriters and still is.

[Svet1kk]

@Wiggo74

Wait, Vladimir Semionovich Vysotskiy had NEVER been to jail! 

[kathyzism]

UNBELIEVABLE..

[pinkjuicy82]

I hated him in Sex in the City.

[jiffyyoyo]

Two people wished they could dance like Mikhail. Do I sense some jealousy???

Dancers like him Mikhail only comes once in a lifetime.

[NlCOABUNDIS]

was she crying because she was overwhelmed by the beauty of his dancing?

[mipobrekiss]

@NlCOABUNDIS What I figured was that this man, the love of her life, now in front of her when she did not think she would see him again. He is there, being himself, showing the true essence of himself, speaking boldly about the situation. She had danced with him, loved him, mourned after he left. It all comes back to her now, she is overcome with emotion.

[debbiejean218]

@NlCOABUNDIS

YES. And it is why I cry even now --- these many years later --- when I see the beauty of his dancing. He is... will remain .... magnificent

[emilitacastillo]

who's singing?

[NervousDayAtDisney]

@emilitacastillo Vladimir Vysotsky

[andrey129145]

@emilitacastillo Владимир Высоцкий Vladimir Vysotsky

[ziro2468]

black swan is so bad this is better 2 ppl like black swan

[scarletkiss1]

hermoso baile

[Nova0175]

He is so great.

[valyruggi]

nessuno come lui...no one like misha...i love him..totally agree whit jdub...

[MegaTitza]

insisto mi idolo el mejor bailarin del mundo !!!

[chuperchay]

DRAMATICO...DOLOROSO...ESPERAN­ZADOR OH INCREIBLEMENTE ESPECTACULAR Y ADMIRABLE CONSOLADORAMENTE HERMOSO.

[kaylenfalse]

You need to see my face right now. Really, I don't think I've ever made a face like this before.. what the heck did I just see? How is that even possible?!

[2441883]

@kaylenfalse Do you mean that backbend? It was like art. It reminded me of a scupture I have seen. Imagine that! Instead of art imitating life, I saw life imitating art. Strange!

[utra1337]

The tights, the faggy outfit, the faggy dance moves, faggay hairstyle, why didnt this guy just tatoo GAY on his forehead?

[HarpoSpoke]

@utra1337 I don't think you get it at all.

[navra]

@utra1337

That 'Faggy Gay' could out perform you any day!

[mayaboldyrlol]

@utra1337 You must be the King of Stereotypes! =)

[philking58]

@utra1337 ha ha what a fucking looser you are!

[DoriyaPosts]

@utra1337 My dear, if you knew anything about Baryshnikov you would know he is not at all gay.

[Germtalia]

@DoriyaPosts yeah he is a passionate dancer

sheesh

[Mitsouko01]

Spoke volumes without uttering a single word! Loved my Misha!

[ifart240]

whats the song? im curious....dang, i wish i could dance like that

[Suegmurr]

@ifart240 Vladimir Vysotsky (soviet bard), "Koni priveredliviye" song

[Jdub14000]

Black Swan......... my ass!

[DeadlyBananas]

@Jdub14000 Black Swan tells it's story well.

[savannahribeiro]

The dancing is freaking fantastic..... Is the girl Helen Mirren?

[BodiceaBabe]

@savannahribeiro Yep. That's her.

[dillynrs]

I would cry too

[toniluvs2rock]

She's crying because she loves him, but she know she has to let him go to his freedom outside of Russia so others can see what she is seeing....

Baryshnikov is awesome!!

[NioushaXD]

what up with the crying lady?

[NASIMNASIM]

@NioushaXD fuck you...return to your NFL.

[NioushaXD]

@NASIMNASIM What? I loved it. I just want to know why that lady is crying?

[MyMoppet52]

@NioushaXD I love this movie. She's also crying because they had talked in about dancing to the singer Vitosky (spelling many ways. Ask for Little Horses or Capricious Horses & he will come up.). He was a protest singer in Russia & was not to be danced to...or even acknowledged. He was pretty much illegal but popular. Officials wanted 'traditional' ballet also. Mikhail could NEVER have danced like that in Russia to that music. She saw that he was able to do that & he needed his freedom.

[sebidelpi]

fucking cold war capitalist propaganda movie...maybe if i would have seen the movie at the time i would have belive all the bullshit about western world freedom..bullshit!!!

[rayito2005]

Porque llora esta Sra al verlo bailar???

[koyitam]

@rayito2005 Porque si no mal me equivoco el le dice q tambien salga de rusia que el ya puede bailar sin que lo repriman y ella no quiere son como sentimientos encontrados

[IREN203]

oohhh now i've got something to strive for. i mean dancin'

[timberbothy2]

Oh my GgGod!!! Didn't he date Carrie BRADSHAAAAAAAWWWW?!

[Gyro911]

@timberbothy2 Geez the pop cultural ignorance of the latest generation is comical. You really have not excuse, the same TV sitcoms and movies that started back then get re run to this day.

[timberbothy2]

Hm?

[Kapojos]

well i just totally do not agree on that. theres no diversity in his dances, it is a repitition of same moves. he never used his body to the maximum, no agility and it always remained in the realm of entertainment, which is very limited. his music is also limited, he never could or dared to create something really authentic, beyond those obvious and dull structures of pop. many sounds were stolen from prince, who is for example a much more creative artist and deserves more praise than michael

[nemo0203]

EXTRAORDINARIO

[CitySkin09]

Helen Mirren was unbelievably hot in this movie...that accent of hers.

[VickaIvanova6753]

Baryshnikov.........!

[GemCan78]

Oh, Helen Mirren, would you stop crying!!!

[Nutbuster360]

whats that turning leap he does called?? its the leap he does at 1:10...i wanna learn how to do that leap!! does it require more calf strength?? or quad strength?

[bigirlnow]

@Nutbuster360 its called a barrel turn

[Nutbuster360]

@bigirlnow ...really?? i thought barrel turns were like leaps that look like ur hopping/rolling over barrels?

[bigirlnow]

@Nutbuster360 ohhh sorry i was looking at the wrong thing! you're right it isn't a barrel turn!

[Nutbuster360]

@bigirlnow haha its all good

[futbolusa]

michael jackson shit his pants at 0:33

[larsik100]

Это гордость наша...Браво!!!

[Madre02]

His compatriot Nureyev was pretty bloody brilliant himself.

[EXTENDED91]

one word is enough: ART

[megamarillion1]

*She is Amazing! *

[TheSubwaysurfer]

Barry was the only reason I watched PBS back in the day! LOL! I was switching channels and saw him do this unbelievable series of moves and said, WHOA! who is THAT guy!!! I never watched any other male Ballet Dancer Since. Barry wuz my BOYE! LOL!

[TheSubwaysurfer]

1.47 CHECK IT DAT"S the MICHAEL JACKSON MOVE LOL!!! done YEARS BEFORE that famous Motown Special! LOL! I cant "prove it" but maybe.... Mike Saw THIS and said... Hmmmm I LIKE THAT! Gotta use it!

Barry was the BEST!!!

[EXTENDED91]

@TheSubwaysurfer: this was two years after the motown special, but still I guess the "move" must be older.. and yes, Michael was a biiig copycat..

[dunnk90]

@TheSubwaysurfer This movie came out after the Motown special. 

[TheSubwaysurfer]

@dunnk90 SO Barry was imitiating MJ??? amazin.

[dragon246135]

@TheSubwaysurfer wasn't this from 1985? well the Motown special was in 1983...

[MsBeautifly3]

my GOD...those parts wehn he hops on his TOES... (y) <3

[PrancingVivi]

Wow. I just found out about this amazing dancer! So passionate.

[TheTMMLProductions]

Прекрасно! Хочется плакать и от голоса Высоцкого и от танца Барышникова!

[topDANCER1231]

I LOVE MIKHAIL HE IS MY HERO!

[Anavyia]

WOW very good and what a beautiful teatre

[mabruk1000]

buuuuuuEENISSIMO

[AssassinLate]

kookamungaa

Владимир Высоцкий - Кони Привередливые

[queensprays]

Baryshnikov and Nuyreev.....I adore them!

[kookamungaa]

anybody know what this song is called? (in russian of course)

[TodayAgain2]

@kookamungaa dunno what it's called but i think it's sung by Vladimir Vysotsky...hope that was helpful :-)

[MyMoppet52]

@kookamungaa Just pull up The Horses or Capricious Horses even without his name. It will come up. There are many versions & I had to look to find this passionate one. He is passionate all the time. I've seen his name spelled 3 ways, so I started asking for Capricious Horses. It is a protest song & Russia did NOT allow him any acknowledgment or perks. He was popular with the people, almost like Elvis. Official Russia would never let a dancer dance to his music. They hated him!

[liugerra]

Потрясающий Барышников!!! Браво!!! Лучший!!

[guillensgurl]

Never a greater dancer than Mikhail....Never!

[dragon246135]

@guillensgurl do you think michael jackson is better than mikhail at dancing?

[Kapojos]

@dragon246135 huh, michael is one of the most overestimated artists (so also dancer) ever!!!

[dragon246135]

@Kapojos he deserves all of it... hes an amazing dancer and musician.

[MonicaEHM]

Maestro!!!

[juanntubbs]

wow!!!thanks for the great memories!!!

[Defender78]

hey wasnt this the same guy who starred in Gymkata?

[lookandplay]

nope

[suzyelhanboly]

AMAZING performance from such a spectacular dancer ...the legend Baryhnikov

[suzyelhanboly]

Amaaazing song with amazing Dancer..Baryshnikov is such a spectacular dancer...

[DanceFire09]

It's amazing! He's doing all that in street shoes!!! Awesome movie! Awesome Dancer.

[22oonim]

I am old enough to suffer from a mild technophobia, but how can I possibly not love my computer when after about 20 years I could watch this piece of amazing dance. Baryshnikov is sooooogood...Andr4s, Watch the film .

[Andr4s]

great dancing though it was a little funny, not knowing the context, what with the strange man-voice singing and the woman crying

[anurturedsoul]

Galina was also sad that Nikolai was planning to defect again and she would never see him again because she refused to go. The song is also sad. Here is a rough translation in a few posts.

By the cliff, along the precipice, right over deadly ground,

With the whip, I strike my steeds; strike them hard to urge them forward.

I am getting short on air, gulp the haze, drink the wind, yet

With a fatal rapture, sensing: I am done for, I am done for!

[anurturedsoul]

Slow down a bit my horses, slow down, please!

Don't you listen to my stinging thong!

But the horses -- just my luck! -- are so hard to please!

Neither lived I so long, nor will I finish this song...

I will let horses drink, I'll complete this refrain,

Just a little bit more I will stay on the brink...

[anurturedsoul]

I will vanish from the Earth, swept by a storm like fluffy feather;

At a gallop, in the morning by the snow they'll drag me over

Can't you please prolong my journey to the end of my tether?

Can't you ease your dash, my horses, carry on a little slower?

[anurturedsoul]

(The Chorus Slow Down...) Just on time - one can't be late arriving at God's quarters!

Why do the angels over there sound like some nasty mortals?

Or, perhaps, it's just a sleigh-bell that's gone mad and burst out sobbing,

Or it's me shouting at my steeds to slow down my sled from dashing.

[wreckageofjessi]

I think part of her crying was also because Vysotsky was banned music. Right before the dance he talks about how he was able to go and dance to these songs that she won't get to do because they are banned there. So i think it's a combo of watching him dance beautifully and dance something she might never see again.

[heshakesitforfatty]

OMG OMG OMG

I´ve always wanted to know the name of this song, does somebody know? pleeaasse

thank you

I lovvee itt :PP

[wreckageofjessi]

Vladimir Visotsky song "Koni Priveredlivye" (or "Fastidious Horses")

[Israiltyanin]

Барышников, Vysotskiy...

Это ГЕНИИ...

Два гения, оба русские..., но один в Америке..., другой в СССР!

Но... ОБА РУССКИЕ...!!!

С уважением! К НИМ!!!

[Mishaforever]

Not quite sure why she was crying maybe it was out of joy that he's "back"? I just love this dance clip of him.

[ritaccamichigan]

In the movie, they were lovers and then he defected to the US without telling her. Seeing him dance again was emotional for her. Great movie.

[MissGolightly88]

He's such a spectacular dancer. Why was that woman crying?

[azarian84]

Is that Vysotsky singing?

[girlwiththeglass]

it gets me every time.

so great. so great. i can't get over it.

thank you for putting this up!

[calbalgal]

AMAZING