Natalia Makarova

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Records

Natalia Makarova's list of honors reads like a history of 20th-century ballet. She is one of the few dancers to win both a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, and her Varna gold medal marked her as a rising star early on. The Kennedy Center Honors in 2012 placed her among America's cultural icons, while the Benois and Petipa awards recognized her enduring influence. Her ability to move between classical ballet and musical theater is a rare achievement that few have matched.

AwardsNatalia Makarova's trophy shelf is a testament to her range: a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for On Your Toes, a Laurence Olivier Award for the same role in London, and the Evening Standard Award presented by Princess Diana. She also earned top honors in the ballet world, including the Varna gold medal, the Anna Pavlova Award, and two life achievement awards from the Benois de la Danse and Petipa foundations.

Honours & Distinctions

Kennedy Center Honors

Kennedy Center·2012

Recognized for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.

Soul of Dance

Russian Ballet Journal·2014

Awarded by the Russian Ministry of Culture for outstanding contribution to ballet.

Benois de la Danse Life Achievement Award

International Dance Union·2018

Recognized for a lifetime of excellence in dance.

Petipa Life Achievement Award

Petipa Foundation·2023

Honored for a lifetime of artistic achievement in classical ballet.

Records & Feats

First dancer invited back to the Soviet Union after defection

Historic First·1989

Makarova was the first artist to be invited to perform in the USSR after her 1970 defection, a historic moment in Cold War cultural relations.