Main content

Russian ballerina defects to the west

The story of Natalia Makarova, the leading Russian ballet star, who defected after a London performance in 1970.

In 1970, Natalia Makarova became the first female ballet star to defect to the West from Russia.

The dancer claimed asylum during a UK tour, nine years after another Russian dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, had defected.

Natalia later joined the American Ballet Theatre in New York. She wouldn’t return to her home country for almost 20 years.

Jane Wilkinson has been looking through the archive to discover the reasons behind her defection.

(Photo: Natalia Makarova in New York, 1980. Credit: Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Image

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Sun 9 Jun 202416:00GMT
BBC Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

The mystery of France's lost king

Next

The first World Laughter Day

See all episodes from Witness History

Broadcasts

  • Wed 10 Jan 202408:50GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Wed 10 Jan 202412:50GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Wed 10 Jan 202418:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
  • Wed 10 Jan 202423:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 11 Jan 202403:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia & West and Central Africa
  • Sun 9 Jun 202416:00GMT
    BBC Radio 4 FM

Podcast