Natalia Makarova performing ’The Dying Swan’ by Camille Saint-Saens

Natalia Makarova was born in Leningrad in former Soviet Russia. At the age of 12, she auditioned for the Leningrad Choreographic School (formerly the Imperial Ballet School), and was accepted although most students join the school at the age of 10. She was a permanent member of the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad from 1956 to 1970, achieving prima ballerina status during the 1960s. Soon after Makarova defected to the West in 1970, she began performing with the American Ballet Theatre in New York and the Royal Ballet in London. At first she was eager to expand her choreography by dancing ballets by modern choreographers. She remained most identified with classical roles such as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Giselle; she was featured in the 1976 live American Ballet Theatre production of Swan Lake, simulcast from Lincoln Center on both PBS and NPR. Makarova continued to excel in many different roles.[1] most notably, her title role in Giselle. She was slim and slight, and combined a delicacy and lyricism with impecca