Natalia Makarova

Natalia Makarova defected from the Kirov Ballet in London in 1970 and joined American Ballet Theatre, where her interpretations of Giselle and Manon redefined dramatic expressivity in the classical canon. Unlike some Soviet-trained dancers whose technique overwhelmed their acting, Makarova fused Stanislavskian psychological depth with supreme classical purity -- her Giselle universally regarded as the interpretive benchmark of the 20th century. She later staged her own productions of La Bayadere and Swan Lake for major companies worldwide and received a Tony Award in 1984 for the Broadway musical On Your Toes.