Prima ballerina N.Makarova tells us about her disasters on stage!

Great tragedians can be funny too :)

[@dcsari19]

she's a true entertainer. great talent in ballet plus she's so smart n funny in every her speech just like a stand up comedian. such a lovable diva, love her!

[@Samalabear]

"You know how loud silence can be." Priceless! Hahaha!

[@hellokittyy9646]

she should have had a career also as a stand up comic....she is really funny, well received, and has a good grip on herself and so funny

[@donschwellenbach5461]

who would have thought that the serious ultimate prima ballerina made any mistakes and that she could be so funny and make fun of herself, just love her, I always thought she was soooo serious

[@lucybee7498]

I'm a ballerina, and I find it really adorable watching her walk and shuffle around, pointing and stretching her feet as she talks, because that's what we do naturally. You can always tell a ballerina in public just from her little movements like that. :)

[@violettrojo]

True ;-)

[@hughman55]

I became a ballet dancer because I wanted to be onstage but I didn't want to have to speak or sing. We are like that. What an amazing ballerina to be so self deprecating, funny, with perfect comic timing, in your second, if not third, language. Natalia, you are one of a kind. Brava.

[@janmartin8974]

I was in the audience in Toronto when she did this intermission appearance. She was such a beautiful dancer - I didn't realize she was also a comedienne!!! When she came out on stage with her shawl between acts I had no idea what she was there for. It didn't take long before she had the audience (and me) in stitches. I have never forgotten that performance and was always so grateful that I decided to get tickets for that night!! Thank you so much for putting this online!

[@catherineblair5648]

I do hope this fabulous talk by Makarova, will inspire the new up and coming ballet dancers of today, as well as remind us all that it is very important to make mistakes, so that we can learn, overcome and adapt, as humans, even when you are at the top,in such a hard career as ballet. This is such a graceful, funny, and inspirational talk, that she really didn't have to share with us, to teach us the "secrete of success, is the capacity to survive failure". BRAVO to her too, for her delightful sense of humour, and learning to keep it!

[@adriannagle1]

Well said! She's so full of humor and warmth!

[@ferdiriordan1]

Fabulous. She has it all. Grace, beauty, talent and humour. I will never see her in any of her ballet roles like I used to. Such wit.

[@dirgesinthedark5637]

LOL this is hysterical Makarova does stand up!

[@eticahumana]

Her heartbeats are strong (capture by the microphone).

[@mithrilmoon1]

Truly one of the greatest ballerinas in the history of dance. Beautiful, soulful, unforgettable.x

[@melaniehamilton6550]

+Paula cunningham shennan Agree 100%! She's someone I truly admire for so many reasons but mostly because her dancing is sublime!

[@salysellsss]

I had the pleasure of meeting Natalia in front of her home in the Presidio District of San Francisco in the mid 1980’s. She was tiny, shorter than me, but so beautiful, elegant, gracious and kind. She doted over her son and obviously was a loving mother. She made a big impression on me although I had never seen her perform. I am just now watching videos of her and her personality and humanity shines through. What an amazing woman.

[@dcfroyogrl]

I idolize Makarova...She was the reason I wanted to become a dancer. It's so great to see this very funny and human side of such a great artist.

[@bobadams5726]

This was Natalia Makarova on stage during the very 1st Erik Bruhn Competition held in Toronto, while the judges were deliberating on which 4 young company dancers from Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre were going to win. Mikhail Baryshnikov chose my student Bonnie Moore and Wes Chapman from ABT to compete, and the winner was Rose Gade from Royal Danish Ballet and Errol Pickford from Royal Ballet. I thoroughly enjoyed Makarova's hilarious delivery of her life experiences and what a superb ballerina with so much soul in her performance. She also coached Bonnie Moore in the white "Swan Lake" pas de deux in ABT, when she was partnered by Baryshnikov. Bonnie Moore also performed the role of Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan's "Romeo & Juliet" with American Ballet Theatre, the lead role of "Manon" with the Royal Ballet , and MacMillan's "Carousel" in London. We are very proud of her achievements and she listened to Makarova's advice to work really hard!

[@stephaniecruvant9130]

Makarova is hilarious! A natural comedian with superb dramatic phrasing of spoken language as well as dance ;-D Delightful!!

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

That was so funny! Even Prima ballerina's have their mishaps on stage. I love how she tells the story! She is one of my favorite ballerina for Swan Lake. She epitomizes the character so genuinely and passionately.

[@Tindaro.Silvano]

She is just “Divine”!

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

So humbling - a true dancer.

[@Dane_Youssef]

Gelsey Kirkland appropriately dubbed her "the greatest ballerina in the world".

[@I_am_Dane_Youssef]

She refers to her accent "horrible." Another famous quote of her was: "It was unimaginable to speak onstage, especially in English - even now. Not because of my speaking ability, but because of ... my legs."

[@donalddonney1595]

Priceless ❤

[@lilydewinters4729]

I love her…❤

[@rachelfrahm829]

The best ballerina Ever

[@conradmartinez4175]

WHAT A "DANCER!" AND WHAT A "LADY!"😊

[@kristiLB93]

Wow! How cool. She's incredibly funny and engaging! A natural comedian! Bravo.

[@ej3016]

hopefully she shares her marvellous sense of humour with her students - she is a true "raconteur" as well as her dance experience 😄

[@hohohomofos5124]

This was very inspiring. I love ballet and recently did my first performance en pointe, in which I had a solo. It was also the first time I'd ever danced by myself. Halfway through the dance, my mind completely blanked so I improvised and acted, keeping my character up, but felt absolutely terrible about it later. This video inspired me to keep going with the thought that no matter if you make a mistake on stage, you can still be beautiful and work hard to be better and achieve great things.

[@TrixiausNebra]

I watched it 5x and are still laughing! Hilarious!

[@annieg830]

she is hilarious. She mad such an embarassing fall into a funny story

[@rachelle8802]

That was awesome! I have always greatly admired Makarova.

[@209747076]

Just love Natalia Makarova, my favorite ballerina. Think she has the most beautiful graceful awesome person. Wish I could have her signed autograph photo. I do have an old book with you in it in your younger days. I still have that book, it's an old hard back cover in red. I would have loved to seen you as Swan Lake, my favorite. I still do ballet at my age, I always think of you when I do ballet. Loved your talking by the way. x

[@GIOBODAN]

This was so original...she is great as a ballerina but not only! Great Natalia

[@kendahke]

what an absolute delight! Bravo, madame!

[@pedinurse1]

she is very funny this was great

[@DrSuessLorigan]

I just met you on youtube I enjoyed seeing you talk. You made me laugh :D Now I will watch you dance. Thank you.

[@annettefournier9655]

She had impeccable timing.

[@SondraFraleigh]

Really funny and charming.

[@ucialay]

love her so much!!!

[@mlledo]

OMG!!!! I was there!!! What an amazing evening!!!

[@palubob]

I have always admired her, but now even more.

[@musikerongbundukero]

You know what, you can also venture into new craft. Comedy. :) I don't know you, I just came across here. But I love your being funny!! Now I'll see how you dance. :)

[@dancefaraway]

the best!!!!

[@AvalonMorley]

What event is this from? She's so charming, and is, indeed, a wonderful comedienne, as her Tony Award for ON YOUR TOES attests.

[@joannemoore2556]

Fabulous

[@FredricEric]

I didn't know she was so funny. You heard a lot of her but nothing like this.

[@EmmaGnillot]

that was hilarious!

[@augustalavenderblue7353]

“Well, I want to die. Anyway."

[@CDS-pb4ng]

In which occasion was this speech held? Sooo funny!!

[@daisycocoa2557]

😂best

[@limbolimbo3693]

very funny :-)

[@tedsler]

Is there a longer video with more of this???

[@c140075]

Can I get this on DVD somewhere?

[@CAAU]

you are wondeful!

[@xarulaweb]

I love you!!!

[@alexisgrey3633]

She looks like Shelly Duvall a bit.

[@rabbitsonblue]

What did she yell in Russian please?

[@rivombreuse]

Gde Sasha, nu c'mon! XD

[@beignet2012]

Can someone please translate what she is saying in Russian? Would love to know. (Starts at 5:42)

[@FK_loving]

She said: “Uncle Sasha, do something! It’s my music now! God, someone help! Do something!”

[@noblesetsentimentales]

@@FK_loving I'm crying.

[@BellaFirenze]

:)

[@martidessi6999]

Can someone write lyrics please? :)

[@Portoinfinitivo]

"Well, now I’m ready for disaster as a soloist. I got the part: Queen of the Ball in a ballet called “The Bronze Horseman” - a respectable part. This time I rehearsed a lot: I knew the part, I knew the role. I really rehearsed a lot - but never in costume! And I realized it was a big skirt, lots of crinoline, period of Peter the Great. Well, I struggled through the pas de deux. And now is my solo. The solo is supposed to finish, very effectively, with a circle of piqué tour en dedans. I start my circle, piqué en dedans: I go this way - the skirts pulls me this way. I try again and skirts pulls me again. And I’m really dizzy. The skirt pulled me to the audience and I fell right into the prompter’s box: it was here. Here I am, covered with my imperial crinoline, only my head sticking out. I stayed there in terror, like a mouse, hoping nobody noticed my mysterious disappearance, or at least that everybody will think that it was part of the staging. I wanted to die, anyway. So, but my partner, trying to be very gallant, he offered me a hand and tried to pull me out. Well, still fighting with my skirt, I tried to climb out very gracefully, maintain my dignity, when - Imperial Stage, Kirov Ballet - I have to cross all this stage in full silence. You know how loud silence could be. Well, now I’m ready for disaster as a ballerina. I remember my first Swan Lake. I’m very excited and very, very nervous. In Russian production, ballerina makes her entrance through a trap door below the stage, by elevator, in order to make the illusion: Swan Queen jumps straight from the lake. So from my dressing room - in my tutu, in my feathers, crown - I go beneath the stage; it’s freezing there - like that. So, elevator arrives - and you know, in Russia, machinery is not very advanced. It’s not like here: you push a button and …swish! You’re there. So, elevator arrives - it’s a little platform, like that: square. So I put myself there, I make the swan position in that square: it’s no walls, nothing to grab or hold on. I try to create the mood, the atmosphere - I usually do that before a performance - it’s not easy on that sort of a platform. But still, I’m spiritually concentrated, you know: smart Queen. So elevator starts: you know there a workman had to crank. Elevator starts, I stay, we’re going - suddenly it stops! And I heard my music! I have to be there! Дядя Саша, ну сом он! Ну, сделайте что́-нибудь! Я не могу! Давайте, моя музыка уже! Ла́сковый, помоги́те! Ну, Сделайте что́-нибудь! [Uncle Sasha, come on! Do something! I can’t! Come on, that’s my music already! Please, do something!] Sudden jerk and I arrive. Special delivery - in Russia, always late. Well, there’s lots of ups and downs in our professional life and I want to encourage these young dancers that are watching tonight: just work hard and the road to success may be difficult but it’s worth it. I wish them well. Thank you."

[@guerramarioalberto]

+Portoinfinitivo Even reading this is absolutely hilarious!. Blessed be Natalia!

[@martidessi6999]

+Portoinfinitivo thanks a lot :)

[@fabiesque]

I worship Makarova and she is the most divine of all. The only thing that is sooo annoying with Russians is that they do not use THE article.....soooo pesky (-: ahaahha