Article: Dancer continues to stretch into new projects.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Paul Horsley

Who knows what makes Mikhail Baryshnikov tick?

Russia didn't know and lost him when the 26-year-old dancer sought asylum on a 1974 Canadian tour.

The New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre couldn't categorize him, though they exploited his athleticism, peerless technique and the highest leaps we'd ever seen.

Hollywood didn't know what to do with him, either, casting him in a film ("White Nights") that purported to capture his struggle to fuse ballet with modern styles but resulted in a cheesy melodrama with a few great dance numbers.

Not even Sarah Jessica Parker (a k a Carrie) knew what to do ...

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