DANCE : Misha Brings His Elite Troupe to Arts Plaza : Baryshnikov’s White Oak project, famous for performing works of modern choreographers, heads to Thousand Oaks next week.

Thousand Oaks will gain an oak, albeit figuratively, when the White Oak Dance Project stops by next week with its famous co-founder, Mikhail Baryshnikov, who will perform on the big stage at Civic Arts Plaza.

The most famous dancer in the world, Baryshnikov--now “Misha” to all--was born in Riga, Latvia, 47 years ago and first gained fame as a soloist with the Kirov Ballet from 1968 until 1974, when he defected to the United States. He eventually settled in New York state, performed with ballet and modern dance companies around the world and was artistic director of American Ballet Theatre from 1980 until 1989.

Beginning the post-ballet phase of his career in 1990, Baryshnikov and choreographer Mark Morris founded the White Oak Dance Project. Named for White Oak, a 7,500-acre plantation/wildlife preserve on the Georgia-Florida border, the project comprises a small, elite group of dancers; chosen for their strength and talent, they perform contemporary works by modern choreographers.

In the last five years, the project has undertaken 14 major tours, making even ambitious rock musicians seem slug-like by comparison. Baryshnikov spoke by phone before a performance in Florida, where, amazingly enough, he was registered at a hotel under his own name.

Tell me about the White Oak Project.

It’s a group of dancers dedicated to dance together. The first season, Mark was the sole choreographer, but since then we’ve worked with well-known and unknown choreographers. We’re always working with different people--it’s a bit of an eclectic group.

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What makes the White Oak Project different from other companies?

When we go on the road, we always have new compositions and pieces by the new generation of choreographers. So in one evening, sometimes we do the work of three or four choreographers, rather than just one. This tour, we’ll debut a new piece by Charles Moulton, “Chickens,” and in Thousand Oaks, we will be doing a very beautiful composition by Tere O’Connor, “Greta in the Ditch,” for the first time.

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Is it a problem being a performer and the boss?

I’m not a real boss although I’m responsible for the financial health of the project. We do make decisions collectively that affect the direction of the group such as where and when we will perform. Of course, I’m responsible for organizing and producing, but it’s all pretty much open, and it’s in no way a dictatorial situation.

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What do you look for in a choreographer?

Well, it’s hard to describe. It’s the power of art, the reflection of his or her vision of life and of the human soul, then transmitted to the dancer. There are many choreographers, but very few great ones.

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Why did you decide to become a dancer?

Well, as a kid my mother took me to the theater and I became interested in the local dance group. There were a lot of good dancers in there, and when I was 15 or 16 I studied at the theater. Then we moved to Leningrad. It’s a long story, but I found I didn’t have a choice. In the theater, I loved the audience, the music, the attention and the excitement of being a performer. Dance is very difficult, very exacting, but a very legitimate life, and a very legitimate career.

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Are you ever plagued by groupies?

Never.

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Does it matter what the critics write?

Yes. Yes, it does. It affects a lot of dancers and it can affect fund-raising activities. It affects more than it really helps. It rarely helps a young dancer, but it depends on the talent of the critic. Some dancers are praised for bad work while good work is overlooked. We’re all just human beings--some critics are good, some are not. The best critics are those who have never touched a ballet shoe.

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You’ve been in America for 20 years now; what blew your mind the most?

I never knew I would be able to swing a golf club. I’d always been amazed by people that watched golf on television. Now, I’m one of them.

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So by now, you must be a baseball fan. How ‘bout those Yankees, or is it how ‘bout those Mets?

My son is already playing baseball. His first game is next week. As to the Yankees or the Mets, I’ll leave that up to him.

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What advice would you give to an aspiring dancer?

Again, when you feel you don’t have a choice, that’s a good indicator that you might succeed. It’s a very difficult journey, and at times, very frustrating, no matter how good you are. It’s also a collaborative process--there’s the producer, the choreographer, the company director and so on. It’s a short career, you have no security, so support of your family is very important. You have to think about these things, but there’s an irreplaceable joy when everything clicks.

Details

* WHO: Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project.

* WHEN: 8 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday.

* WHERE: Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

* HOW MUCH: $65, orchestra; $50, mezzanine; $35, balcony.

* CALL: 449-2787.