MAKAROVA WILL DANCE WITH BALLET THEATRE

Natalia Makarova, not seen in Los Angeles since 1982, will return for two performances with American Ballet Theatre during the company’s engagement at Shrine Auditorium March 5-24.

Makarova, who appeared in Broadway and London in the musical comedy “On Your Toes,” will dance the pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan’s “Manon” with Kevin McKenzie on the opening-night mixed bill and MacMillan’s “Romeo and Juliet,” once again with McKenzie, on March 8.

The 44-year-old Soviet-born ballerina has been forced by injuries to curtail her dancing in classical repertory recently and will appear with Ballet Theatre only in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Other casting for the title roles in “Romeo and Juliet” includes Fernando Bujones and Marianna Tcherkassky (March 6), Robert LaFosse and Leslie Browne (March 7 and March 16 matinee), Ross Stretton and Cynthia Harvey (March 16 evening), Robert Hill and Amanda McKerrow (March 17 matinee) and Patrick Bissell and Susan Jaffee (March 17 evening).

Cynthia Gregory, celebrating her 20th season with Ballet Theatre, will alternate with Martine van Hamel in MacMillan’s “Anastasia,” Act III, seen in its American company premiere (March 12-15). Gregory, 38, will also join Stretton in Gsovsky’s “Grand Pas Classique” opening night, in two “Coppelias” (March 10 with Bujones and March 19 with LaFosse), “Raymonda” divertissements (March 15 with Bujones) and “Cinderella” (March 21 with Stretton).

A company spokesman said that artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov is not listed to dance on the tour.