Natalia Makarova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Natalia Makarova
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Makarova at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors
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| Born |
Natalia Romanovna Makarova
21 November 1940 |
| Other names | Natasha Makarova |
| Occupation | ballet dancer, choreographer |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Edward Karkar
(m. 1976; died 2013) |
Natalia Romanovna Makarova (Russian: Ната́лия Рома́новна Мака́рова, born on November 21, 1940) is a famous Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. A prima ballerina is the highest rank a female ballet dancer can achieve. Many people consider her one of the best dancers of her time in the Western world.
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About Natalia Makarova
Natalia Makarova was born in Leningrad, which was then part of the Soviet Union. When she was 12 years old, she tried out for the Leningrad Choreographic School. This school was very famous for ballet. Even though most students joined at age 9, Natalia was accepted because she was so talented.
Early Career and Moving West
From 1956 to 1970, Makarova was a main dancer with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad. She became a prima ballerina in the 1960s. In 1970, while on tour in London, Makarova decided to stay in the West. This is called "defecting," which means leaving your home country to live in another, often for political reasons.
After moving, Makarova quickly began dancing with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City and the Royal Ballet in London. She wanted to dance new and modern ballets. But she was also famous for her roles in classic ballets. These included Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and the main role in Giselle.
Later Career and Return Home
Natalia Makarova was excellent in many different ballet roles. Her performance in Giselle was especially well-known.
In 1989, she made an emotional return to her old ballet company, the Kirov Ballet, in Russia. This was a very special moment for her. She got to see her family, old friends, and teachers again. A film called Makarova Returns was made about this event. She wrote and presented the film herself.
After her performance at the Kirov, she stopped dancing professionally. She gave her ballet shoes and costumes to the Kirov Museum. Natalia Makarova stopped dancing because of injuries, especially to her knees.
Today, Makarova works as a choreographer. This means she creates and teaches ballets to other dancers. She stages famous ballets like Swan Lake, La Bayadère, and Sleeping Beauty for ballet companies around the world.
Other Achievements
Beyond ballet, Makarova also performed on Broadway. She won a Tony Award for her role in the musical On Your Toes. The Tony Award is a very important award for theater performances in the United States. She also played a historical figure, Lydia Lopokova, in a play called Wooing in Absence.
Personal Life
Natalia Makarova has been married three times. In 1976, she married a businessman named Edward Karkar. They had a son together named Andrei. Edward Karkar passed away in 2013.
A dance teacher named Janet Sassoon once spoke about Makarova. She said that Makarova was a "Prima Ballerina Assoluta." This is an even higher title than prima ballerina. It means she was considered the absolute best of the best.
Awards and Honors
Natalia Makarova has received many awards for her amazing talent and contributions to ballet:
- 1965 – Varna International Ballet Competition – Gold Medal
- 1969 – Honored Artist of the RSFSR
- 1970 – Anna Pavlova Prize & Critic's Award, Paris
- 1977 – Dance Magazine Award
- 1983 – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical – On Your Toes (Broadway)
- 1983 – Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical – On Your Toes (Broadway)
- 1983 – Theatre World Award – On Your Toes (Broadway)
- 1983 – Astaire Award – On Your Toes (Broadway)
- 1984 – Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical – On Your Toes, London
- 1985 – London Evening Standard Award – for her performance in the ballet Onegin.
- 1986 – Emmy Award nomination for Ballerina, a TV series she wrote and narrated for BBC.
- 2004 – Artistic Achievement Award from the School of American Ballet
- 2012 – Kennedy Center Honor – a very high award for artists in the United States.
- 2014 – "Soul of Dance" by the Russian Ballet Journal
- 2018 – Life Achievement Award by Jury of the Benois de la Danse
Work as a Choreographer
After retiring from dancing, Natalia Makarova became a well-known director and stager of ballets. She has brought her versions of classic ballets to companies all over the world.
Some of the major ballets she has staged include:
- Kingdom of the Shades – American Ballet Theatre (1974)
- La Bayadère – American Ballet Theatre (1980), and many other companies worldwide.
- Paquita – American Ballet Theatre (1983)
- Swan Lake – London Festival Ballet (1988) and other companies.
- Giselle – Royal Swedish Ballet (2000)
- Sleeping Beauty – Royal Ballet (2003)
Documentaries and TV Appearances
Natalia Makarova has been featured in many documentaries and television shows about ballet. These include:
- 1979 – Assoluta – a BBC TV documentary about her.
- 1985 – Natasha – a documentary about Natalia Makarova.
- 1986 – Ballerina – a four-part TV series for BBC TV, which she wrote and narrated.
- 1989 – Makarova Returns – a film about her emotional return to the Kirov Ballet.
- 1994 – BBC Great Railway Journeys – a travel show she wrote and presented.
See also
- List of dancers
- List of Russian ballet dancers
- List of Eastern Bloc defectors
