Natalia Makarova, Kennedy Center Honoree

December 25, 2012

Tonight CBS broadcasts the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors—and one of the honorees is a true ballet legend.

There are many incredible ballerinas dancing today, but nobody can ever quite measure up to Natalia Makarova. She first rose to fame at the Kirov Ballet in the 1960s, but after she defected from the USSR in 1970, she became an international superstar. Though she’s tiny and delicate, she nevertheless had a steely technique and a huge, passionately dramatic presence onstage. A frequent partner of fellow stars Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolph Nureyev, she captivated audiences around the world.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here she is showing off her exquisite control and dramatic sweep in Odette’s variation, from a 1980 performance of Swan Lake:

And to give you a sense of not only her formidable technique, but also her sly sense of humor, here’s a clip from the 1985 documentary In a Class of Her Own, in which Makarova narrates footage of herself in ballet class—mercilessly.

We can’t wait to see Makarova celebrated tonight— especially since the ceremony (taped a few weeks ago) features performances by a slew of current ballet stars, including Alina Cojocaru, David Hallberg, Tiler Peck, Angel Corella, Julie Kent, Marcelo Gomes and Veronika Part. Tune into CBS tonight at 9/8 c to watch all that awesomeness.

And for those of you who just can’t wait: Here’s a sampler of classic Makarova photos. Enjoy!

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