good evening from los angeles. i'm tavis smiley. all this week, we've been celebrating some of the world's best dancers. tonight i'm here with the best of the best, mikhail baryshnikov. as many of you knows, i'm part of the new cast of "dancing can the stars." a challenge that i'm thoroughly enjoying. it's also given me renewed respect for the art of dancing and what the art form requires from everyone who attempts it from the greats like mikhail baryshnikov to my humble contribution. we're glad you can join us. my conversations with mikhail baryshnikov coming up right now. ♪

penned by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ i've had the pleasure of speaking with misha, az he's called, three times over the last few years. his most acclaimed dancer of his generation to his defection from the soviet union back in 1974, to his commitment to passing on his artistry to new generations of dancers and actors. for all of this acclaim, he's amazingly enough been the object of pushback from audiences. in fact, he has been booed and

if mikhail baryshnikov can be booed, i guess anyone can be booed. >> speaking of booing, i had the same experience the first time, you know, in american ballet theater. she did a piece called "wants more frank" when frank sinatra sings with his daughter his famous record. you know, and it was a little duet which later on sinatra suite and the sinatra songs. it was a huge success in her career. but that first performance at the big gala at new york state theater, instead of, you know, me dancing some classical my bread and butter, so to speak, we, you know, we worked for weeks, on this little duet. and when we finished, we were booed, you know?

and, you know, it's strange for me, and unexpected. that was not first time. and i hope not -- you know, as one famously said, if you're not booed, you're doing something wrong. you know? and everybody loves what you're doing and there is something -- but it's more to a creator. i'm not a choreographer. and usually when people express they're feeling that strongly, it's about a general conception of the piece. you know? >> it's not the dancing, per se. >> no. i don't think so. i don't think so. in tradition, when opera diehard fans, there's a replacement, a singer, or singer didn't -- wasn't his or her's walk-off best, doing something, you know.

they paid hundreds of dollars for the ticket, you know, but that's a tradition more than in dance, in fact. you know, i think dance fans, more loyal. >> how does the artist, though, not internalize that? or maybe the answer is to internalize it to make you better. how do you process when the audience doesn't love what you do? >> well, it stinks. it's never pleasant. as you know. when you work sometimes for weeks and weeks and weeks on a piece which was badly received by the critics, and sometimes by the audience, you know, this is the moment you have to kind of regroup and say, when i am on

stage in this piece, this is the best piece ever, and on that very moment i'm trying to do even more than 100%. because i know that choreographer, she or he upset about it. of course, never pleasant. very few people say, i done c't care, i don't believe. everybody cares. when you lost, you lost. when the work is questionable, then you just work this through. this kind of moment of very unpleasant moment and finish up and then you decide with choreographers, will we continue work on this piece? sometimes they rework the piece, it becomes success. you know?

always, even pieces that are done 30, 40, even 50 years ago, change because today i see this, you know, and there's nothing wrong with that. and then -- that's the way it is. >> we've been having a conversation about your role as dancer, as artist on the stage. i'm curious if you might tell me what the greatest reward was and what the greatest challenge was of running a theater company. american ballet or one of the others you've run. what's been the great reward of running a theater company, and the great challenge for you doing that when you, yourself, are an artist, a dancer? >> well, introducing a new generation of the dancers to the theater because you have an opportunity to audition people for your company. in your mind, you having already

kind of, perception what kind of local dancer, what kind of statue, what kind of proportions. just purely physical first. then you -- if you really feel -- because they're auditioning for a dance company where they are, 16, 17, 18, you know. you know pretty much that certain, you know, you see what's what. then you meet people and you talk to them when they audition. you know, for some people, it's obviously being a dancer in ballet mostly. some people have more potential that have an opportunity to grow and to have soloist parts. there are certain people who

definitely have potential to be principal dancers. and it's hard. sometimes people want to be in company no matter what. some people have -- they ask you directly, do i have a potential to be especially in new york classical company? and no matter how young they are, sometimes you talk to their teacher, sometimes to their parents and say, you know, this young lady at age 16, 17, maybe should try to think to go to the less known company and then she or he would be, have a better potential to succeed in, say, let's say that time, boston, or philadelphia, or san francisco, or chicago, elsewhere. >> and you can spot that that

early in their life? >> yes. >> wow. well, that's one of the sort of challenges, and then, or sometimes, you know, these young people work for three, four, five years as a ballet dancer in, let's say, in new york. talking about american ballet theater. and then go elsewhere and become a soloist and principal dancers elsewhere. europe sometimes. but mostly in the states. and it happens all time. people from new york city ballet goes to san francisco or to miami or, you know, and starting their own companies. and you see, dancers are quite mature people because they start

performing so early. they become professionals. when they start everyday classes. they're 12, 13 when they start to perform "nutcracker" and "sleeping beauty" as children. you can see who, really a lot of here, a lot of there in their body. you know? that's one of the -- one of the bigger challenges you have when you're on the classical dance company. and then settle -- and then give them opportunity to dance in a repertoire which you think is right. and in my case, i had a great traditional american ballet theater choreography, you know,

with anthony tudor. and robbins. chase was the founder and oliver smith created extraordinary legacy of the company. then twila tharp. and i really wanted to show the company the best way. it was a controversial directorship, i would say. because, you know, i made certain mistakes and it was a lot of personalities. and some people, some critics will not quite agree with certain directorialships.

i was also a young man and i was still dancing. in many instances, i put my career, you know, on the back shelf, and that was a fascinating experience. >> you say it in a very simple, quick sentence. i don't go to russia. after all these years, you defected in what, 1974 officially? >> yes. >> after all these years, why still not go back to russia? >> you know, i -- it's very personal which i wouldn't go through that moment. although it is mostly about -- i always -- i left for a serious reason, for a professional reason. and the reason, of course, political. you know. in '74, it was really very gloomy atmosphere, i would say,

putting it mildly. and i was very restless. i really wanted to be a part of a kind of a progressive society. i fed up with the, you know, this communist doctrines, you know, and you're in your house all the time. members of the party committee who are kgb. what you have to d&ñmy where in the west you can go, or not to go. i really felt i'm ready to face a new world. and i was 26 already. for a dancer, i was not a kid. you know? although i didn't prepare this decision. it was spontaneous decision. and i was touring in canada. i knew that i would put under a

stress some members of my family in russia, and, of course, people who made a commitment of my security of me being a good boy and stay to the company, and i was just -- something really snapped inside. i thought it was now or never probably. i was alone. i didn't have immediate family. i lived alone. >> didn't speak english. >> i spoke french. >> yeah. >> but personal. i really -- you know, my mother and my father lived -- they were decent people, especially my mother was very -- my father was military mind mother was very,

very simple, wonderful russian. very insightful, very talented woman. and whom they sent an occupying force, agreement, all that in 1945, to latvia. i was born in 1948 over there. and, you know, when i left already, i felt, you know, rather in my early 20s i realized how miserable their life were. i mean, they lived under huge lie, and then -- they would spend years and years in the country which they are -- latvia, one of the soviet republics. they didn't know the language.

they didn't know why they were there. my father was a party member. and he was pretty high in the rank, military officer, under the colonel. junior colonel is the term. and he was a total stalinist. you know? a bit -- a streak of anti-semitism, a very shrewd man. you know, but i remember when stalin died, i remember he cried. for days, you know? when we really realized, you know, who the hell joseph stalin was, my father was crashed.

totally crashed. it's just -- i felt i would never forgive that country for their lie. for what they went through. and we lived until i was 12 or so, in communal apartment with five different families. and the same kitchen, you know, the two little -- my brother and me and parents. and it was hell. it was a common thing. you know, my father was not general or admiral, but he was a colonel. again, he was teaching in military academy military topograp topography. he was teaching spies for the soviet government. you know? and later on, got a little two-room apartment separate, but it was okay. it just -- looking back, i -- it

still -- you know, i was not that close to him. my mother died when i was 11 or 12. you know, and then i left. you know? but i am -- i am very, very angry that all these people were lied all these years. all these years. my mother died when she was barely 40. 39 or something. you know? very talented w eed woman. she took me to see the art. she didn't speak any latvian. my second language was latvian. russian, home. latvian on the street. she used to take me to the movies in latvia. she had favorite actresses who were latvian.

but she loved them but she didn't understand what they were saying. and i was sitting next to her and telling, you know, in some -- she'd say, what did she say? well, she said something. shh, shh, shh. >> so you were the subtitle? you were the subtitle. >> that's right. she didn't see the trophy films or the series. because when russians took -- mgm musicals. some of the films. they were showing with a little -- sometimes without the titles. you know? and i remember vividly, you know, seeing "tarzan," and, you know, fred astaire musicals. you know, mgm.

because of my mother. she was just interested in everything. and she took me to opera and ballet. and then ballet got -- there was something, piece of meat that i really smell. there were children on stage. in this piece of meat, there was a hook. i swallowed it. i said, i want to do what this kid's doing, and that was probably at age 7, 6, 7. >> god rest her soul. we have your mother to thank for all of this. >> yes. >> wow. >> they're filming. >> it would be a very good thing if student were expelled from the second form. >> i suspect that any fan of yours who comes to see you in

anything hopes you're going to do some dancing. >> i did a little bit. >> a little bit. >> never enough. never enough. >> yeah. i know for your fans, it's never enough. you're okay with that obviously. >> yeah. 66 years old man dance all evening. that's what they want. >> you could still do it if you wanted to? could you still do it? >> of course i can. sometimes i go on stage -- recently a few months ago, a dance company, new piece, which i was part of the evening and had a great time. of course, there's different kind of dance. >> right. >> i have to work, you know, the people whom i work with, like mark, for example. they know exactly how to use me. you know, and you cannot, you know, you cannot dance physically certain things. you know what i mean? and then -- but look at tango

dancers. or flamenco, or japanese classical theater. i mean, you can -- if you're smart enough, and you collaborate with the right choreographers, you could really dance, you know, dance your age. and then i say, you know, there's a lot of examples to it. martha graham. paul taylor. twila tharp. because they're choreographers, they know their physicality. they know what not to do. >> yeah. >> you know, and not to show. and how to use your body. >> i had chita rivera here not too long ago who's still dancing her age. you put it, got to dance your age. >> that's a timeless artist. incredible. >> i was going to, initially, though, what it's -- how interesting it is. i don't want to say weird, bt

interesting it is to sit in the audience, as i did the other night and watch you play these characters, this character who was -- my word, not yours -- so muted, so staged, so this. and the person playing him has always been like this. i mean, that's when you know you're a good actor. all of that. >> that's the challenge. you have to get into the skin of that character. >> right. yeah. you, as i said, have won, received just about every major award there is, and yet you keep pushing yourself to innovate, to create, to try different things. what's that all about? >> you don't measure life by receiving awards. >> right. >> you know, i'm flattered and i'm deeply honored, you know, to receive something like, you kno know. it is -- i'm afraid to get bored

with myself. that's number one. second one -- second point. you know, my day job in a way, it's my center in new york. and i really -- when i'm around that center and i am performing the same time, keeps me alive. keeps me understand what needs of the young artist. not young. middle age. old age. what their needs are. what, in this sense, new york city, i had to kind of stretch relationships always with new york city, with total love affair in the beginning in '70s, then retreat, and then the kind of conservatives of politics and real educatistate and business and now i am, again, kind of fighting for the justice to the

city to open the city for the artists. you know, for art education. for kids. you know, and minorities. and education. education, per se. you know, it's just very important. that's the future of our country. >> good to have you on. all the best to you. that's our show for tonight. thanks for watching. as always, keep faith. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com for more information on today's show, visit tavissmiley@pbs.org. hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time with misty copeland and dance sensation lo buck. that's next time. we'll see you then.

penned by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

tonight on "quest" -- mt. umunhum is one of the most majestic peaks in the bay area. but cold war security and toxic contamination put its summit off limits for more than half a century. now, efforts are underway to open it up to the public. and it's a repeated theme in hollywood movies -- a killer asteroid zooming toward earth. but that couldn't happen for real, could it? major funding for "quest" is provided by -- the national science foundation and the corporation for public broadcasting.