I think art education, especially in this country, which government pretty much ignores, is so important for young people.

Baryshnikov underscores a civic argument for the arts: training in dance, music, theater, and visual art is not a luxury but a formative part of young people’s development. By contrasting the importance of arts education with governmental neglect, he frames the issue as a structural failure rather than an individual choice. The quote also reflects an immigrant artist’s perspective on American cultural policy—admiration for artistic opportunity paired with criticism of inconsistent public support. Implicitly, he suggests that arts education cultivates discipline, imagination, and expressive capacity, and that deprioritizing it narrows both personal growth and a society’s cultural vitality.