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Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Legendary Russian ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov received a special honor this week at Buckingham Palace, which was bestowed by Queen Elizabeth before her death and the Royal Dance Academy. Queen Consort Camilla presented the award Wednesday in her first solo reception at the palace.
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Baryshnikov was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award for his lifetime contributions to dance. The 74-year-old Russian-born dancer and choreographer defected to Canada in 1974 after starting his career at Russia's famed Kirov Ballet.
His biggest success came as a dancer, and later, artistic director at the American Ballet Theater. Baryshnikov was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the 1977 film The Turning Point, which ultimately made him one of the most famous ballet dancers in the world. He also played Carrie Bradshaw's love interest Aleksandr Petrovsky in the final season of Sex and the City.
Baryshnikov performed as a guest with The Royal Ballet between 1975 and 1985, starring in Rhapsody in honor of the 80th birthday of the Queen Mother. He has also received a Kennedy Center Honor, the National Medal of Arts, the Jerome Robbins Award, and a Chubb Fellowship. Along with director Igor Golyak and the Arlekin Players, Baryshnikov is working on a revival of Chekov's The Cherry Orchard which made its debut off-Broadway in June.
"From my early years, dance has been my mentor, my teacher, and best friend. It has never felt like a burden and has never disappointed," Baryshnikov said while accepting the honor. "It has been an unspoken conversation with the world, and I felt lucky to have found it."
He and Camilla exchanged pleasantries at the event. As Camilla recently said she's taking ballet classes, Baryshnikov provided some encouragement.
"She is a fellow dancer, I understand," he told People.
Camilla is a vice patron of the RAD, opening its new global headquarters in March. The Royal Academy of Dance began as another organization in 1920, becoming the RAD in 1936. As one of the world's largest dance education and training organizations, they have a membership of more than 85 countries.
The QE11 Award was created in 1953 to celebrate the Queen's coronation. Previous recipients include Dame Marie Rambert, Sir Frederick Ashton, Dame Monica Mason, Rudolf Nureyev, and Carlos Acosta CBE.
"Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the most famous male ballet dancers in history," Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, president of the Royal Academy of Dance said. "He has been an inspiration to so many young, aspiring dancers across the world. Fearless in his pursuit of artistic expression, he has transferred his many talents into other genres, from acting, film, television, documentaries, and more. It is a privilege to award him the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, the highest honour that the Royal Academy of Dance can bestow."
