Nora Kovach facts for kids

Nora Kovach (born June 13, 1931 – died January 18, 2009) was a famous Hungarian ballerina. She became well-known in 1953 when she and her husband, Istvan Rabovsky, who was also a ballet dancer, escaped from Hungary to the West. This was a very public event, as they were the first dancers from the Soviet bloc to defect. They chose freedom over their privileged life.

Early Life and Daring Escape

Nora grew up in Budapest, Hungary. She trained to be a dancer at the Budapest Opera Ballet school. She also studied at the Kirov Ballet school in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg, Russia).

Nora and Istvan were top dancers at the Budapest State Opera. In May 1953, they went on a tour to East Berlin. The Cold War was happening, which was a time of tension between the Soviet Union and Western countries. During this tour, they disappeared from a planned performance. They found a subway station under their hotel. They quickly got on a train to West Berlin. This journey brought them to freedom.

Starting a New Life in the West

A few months after her escape, Nora was interviewed by Time magazine. She talked about how hard it was to leave her home. She said she couldn't sleep for two nights. She kept thinking about her mother, home, and family. But she also said, "freedom is better."

A famous manager named Sol Hurok helped them. Nora and Istvan performed with the Festival Ballet in London. This was their first show in the West. It happened on August 25, 1953. They danced in Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus. The audience gave them a huge cheer.

Performing in America and Beyond

The couple then traveled to the United States. They arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey on November 13, 1953. They came on a ship called the SS Nieuw Amsterdam. In an interview, Nora said that as dancers for the Leningrad ballet, they had a good life. They had money, a car, and a nice home. But she added, "never what we wanted most — Freedom."

They appeared on television in November 1953. They were on Ed Sullivan's show, Toast of the Town. Western audiences were amazed by their strong ballet skills. These skills were developed in the Soviet Union. A newspaper noted their focus on amazing tricks.

Nora Kovach and Istvan Rabovsky performed ballet all over the world. They danced in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Latin America.

In 1956, Nora and Istvan were on a ship called the SS Andrea Doria. The ship crashed with another ship near Nantucket, Massachusetts. They were among the passengers who were rescued. After their rescue, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show several more times.

In the early 1960s, Nora and Istvan started their own dance group. It was called Bihari. Later, in 1969, Nora opened her own ballet school. It was in Plainview, New York.

Later Life

Nora Kovach later divorced Istvan Rabovsky. She married Tibor Szegezdy, who passed away in 1985. She was survived by her third husband, Steve Farago. She also had a brother and two stepchildren.

See also

• List of Soviet and Eastern Bloc defectors