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. Unlike #6 Sylvie Guillem’s athletic flexibility, 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 Bayadère and Swan Lake for major companies worldwide, earning a 1984 Tony Award for On Your Toes after performing 450 shows on Broadway. Makarova’s technique was 15% more expressive in emotional scenes than the average Kirov-trained dancer, a unique fusion that no one has replicated.