<P> After a promising start in the Mariinsky Ballet in Leningrad, Mikhail Baryshnikov defected to Canada in 1974 for more opportunities in western dance . After freelancing with many companies, he joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer to learn George Balanchine's style of movement . He then danced with the American Ballet Theatre, where he later became artistic director . </P> <P> Mikhail Baryshnikov has spearheaded many of his own artistic projects and has been associated in particular with promoting modern dance, premiering dozens of new works, including many of his own . His success as a dramatic actor on stage, cinema and television has helped him become probably the most widely recognized contemporary ballet dancer . </P> <P> In 1977, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe nomination for his work as "Yuri Kopeikine" in the film The Turning Point . He also had a significant role in the last season of the television series Sex and the City and starred in the movie White Nights with Gregory Hines . </P> <P> Mikhail Baryshnikov was born in Riga, then Latvian SSR, Soviet Union, now Latvia . His parents were Russians: Alexandra (a dressmaker; née Kiselyova) and Nikolay Baryshnikov (an engineer). His mother committed suicide, when he was in his early teens . </P>

Who played the russian in sex and the city
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