Youth America Grand Prix Honors Natalia Makarova, Ballerina On Saturday at the David H. Koch Theater a dozen or so of the foremost ballet dancers in the world performed. And yet the star of the evening - there was never any doubt about this - did not appear onstage until after all the dancing was over. Julie Lemberger for The New York Times Natalia Makarova, lifted by David Hallberg, left, and Marcelo Gomes; far left, Kevin McKenzie, Ballet Theater's artistic director, at Lincoln Center. She was Natalia Makarova, the great Russian ballerina, retired since 1989, and the evening was a tribute to her, a gala presented by the Youth America Grand Prix, an annual ballet scholarship competition. The other stars were on hand to dance excerpts of the ballets for which she was best known. But Ms. Makarova was the dominant presence. Her image, larger than life, was projected onto a screen. Video, astutely selected from documentaries, outlined her storied biography: the Kirov beginnings in the "50s, the defection to the West in 1970, the world fame. And video revealed the sources of that fame: her extraordinary dancing and the charisma with which she could talk about her art or tell a funny story. Since this video continued before each of the 13 danced excerpts, the live dancers had to work in comparison with the legend, often following a projected snippet of Ms. Makarova in the very same role. As they danced, a huge still image of Ms. Makarova sometimes looked down. In the case of Catherine Hurlin, a student from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School giving a fresh, unfinished reading of the Princess Florine variation from "Sleeping Beauty," Ms. Makarova's first role, the image looked down benevolently, as if in blessing. Elsewhere it seemed to say, "Nice try." The guest ballerinas reflected aspects of the guest of honor, and it was only fitting that the Russians fared best. Diana Vishneva, in the bedroom pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan's "Manon," was all ebullience. Ekaterina Kondaurova brought remarkable flow to the contortions of William Forsythe's "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated" and made an imperiously seductive Black Swan. Natalia Osipova, light enough to drift away, bouncing like the world's prettiest pogo stick, demonstrated what Ms. Makarova meant by calling Giselle "all spirit." There were men present too. Ivan Vasiliev, partnering Ms. Osipova, earned huzzahs for his jackknife jumps in "Giselle." Marcelo Gomes, partnering Ms. Kondaurova and Ms. Vishneva, showed his usual gracious force. Sergei Polunin, a figure of curiosity since his recent departure from the Royal Ballet, was boyish and buoyant, supporting the Royal's Tamara Rojo in "Black Swan." And David Hallberg, the American danseur noble now with the Bolshoi Ballet, shined all too briefly with Ms. Kondaurova in a bit of "La Bayadère." Clocking in at less than three hours, the production moved quickly, even through its honoree's moment of glory. The appearance of the 71-year-old Ms. Makarova during the bows naturally brought the audience to its feet, and the frenzy increased as Mr. Hallberg and Mr. Gomes lifted her high. Just then, the curtain abruptly closed. Soon after, Ms. Makarova reappeared in front of the curtain, giving each dancer a kiss. In physical size she was the smallest person onstage. In every other way she was the giant.