Mikhail Baryshnikov - Competition and Concert Solos from 'La Bayadère' (Moscow 1969)

These are two separate performances of a solo from 'La Bayadere' given by Mikhail Baryshnikov at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1969. The first is the competition performance that won the dancer the gold medal and the second is the reprise given at the concert to celebrate the end of the event. These performances are interesting to me in that they show Mikhail Baryshnikov at the very beginning of his career and still without any non-Mariinsky influences on his style and technique. Enjoy!