Male Ballet Dancers – An Asset to the Art Form

Male Ballet Dancers – An Asset to the Art Form

Ballet is one of the most beautiful and demanding forms of dance. While most people think primarily of women in ballet, there are famous male ballet dancers. These men have shown the beauty and athleticism of ballet in new and exciting ways.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

One of the most talented and famous male dancers of recent history is Mikhail Baryshnikov. Baryshnikov began his career as a ballet dancer in the Soviet Union. Baryshnikov ‘s magnificent combination of power, grace, and emotion took the world by storm. He defected from the Soviet Union to Canada. He later came to the USA to continue his career as a dancer and choreographer. In addition to his dancing prowess, his popularity and talent landed him roles in movies and television.

Vladimir Malakhov

Vladimir Malakhov is another of the famous Russian dancers. Malakhov has exhibited some of the finest technical and lyrical performances in ballet. He has performed with premiere companies around the world including the Moscow Classical Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, and the American Ballet Company. Malakhov has been hailed as the Ballet Dancer of the Century by European ballet critics.

The Next Generation

Today one of the most talented and famous male dancers is Roberto Bolle of Italy. Not only is he known for his talent, but his strong muscular body proves these types of dancers are also athletes.

Bolle, as is common for most outstanding performers, started his dancer training young, at the age of 12. He has traveled the world performing for many of the finest companies. Bolle may have performed for the largest audience of any ballet dancer in history, when he performed in front of 2.5 billion people in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

His unique combination of physical beauty, power, and elegance has aided in his becoming one of the world’s most recognized dance celebrities.