mikhail baryshnikov: he made this really extraordinary choice and he changed his life. he just admired a man who sometimes treated him roughly, too, you know, in front of a lot of people, you know. but he, in many instances, swallowed pride and learned from him. narrator: balanchine put him to work immediately, both as a dancer and choreographer. robbins won audiences with his performances in ballets such as "prodigal son," "tyl ulenspiegel," and "bourée fantasque" with tanaquil le clercq. d'amboise: it was adorable. tall, skinny praying mantis, and jerry robbins, with a little beret, like the little french kind of street guy. they were so close personally, which added to the fun of it. they knew each other inside out and upside down. narrator: robbins stopped dancing in 1952 to concentrate on choreography. by then, he had created provocative and dramatic works like "the guests," a ballet about prejudice and "age of anxiety," an exploration of mid-century angst which gave a new dimension to new york city ballet's repertory. in "the cage," a controversial portrait of a d