41 Quotes by Natalia Makarova

A real ballerina must fill her space with her own personality.

Even the ears must dance.

You cannot dance an arabesque in ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘Nutcracker’ the same way.

What I am looking for is a masterpiece. I don’t want to waste my time. I am tired of experiments.

The expression should come from within oneself, conveying the spiritual – something between earth and heaven. And if one runs, one should not seem to touch the ground.

Technical things are getting more mechanical. Take ‘Swan Lake,’ the Black Swan pas de deux. Now, my goodness, they’re turning not just 32 fouettes – but double or triple pirouettes.

I was born to be a ballerina – my physique, my spirit, my feeling for music. What I am can only be expressed in dance. I am an erotic woman and that’s what dance is.

I travel like a gypsy, and I didn’t know how I could perform and be a mother.

People tell me I’m dancing better than ever. I don’t know what happened, but I have new enthusiasm and more endurance.