Ballerina, born in St Petersburg, NW Russia. After studying in St Petersburg, she joined the Kirov Ballet and became one of its outstanding ballerinas. She defected to the West while touring with the Kirov in London (1970). She joined the American Ballet Theatre in New York City as a principal dancer, and became a guest dancer with the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, and other companies. Best known for her Giselle with the Kirov, she was one of the greatest classical dancers, and also created roles for contemporary choreographers. She formed her own company in 1980.
She was a performer with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad from 1956 to 1970.After she defected, she performed with the American Ballet Theater and Royal Ballet. When she first defected, she was eager to expand her choreography by dancing ballets by modern choreographers.
In 1989, Natalia Makarova returned to her home theater, the Kirov Ballet, and was reunited with all her old colleagues, teachers, and family. Today Natalia Makarova stages ballets such as Swan Lake, La Bayadère, and Sleeping Beauty for companies across the world.
In addition to being one of the most famous ballerinas, Makarova won a Tony Award for her performance in the show On Your Toes.
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Preceded by: Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls |
Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical 1983 for On Your Toes |
Succeeded by: Chita Rivera in The Rink |
Further reading
Natalia Makarova, A Dance Autobiography, Alfred A.
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