: Mont cla ir , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Category : Public ▁high ▁schools ▁in ▁Es sex ▁County , ▁New ▁Jersey <0x0A> </s> ▁N ora ▁K ov ach ▁( 1 3 ▁June ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁– ▁ 1 8 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Hung arian ▁ball er ina ▁who ▁defect ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁together ▁with ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁fellow ▁bal let ▁dan cer ▁Ist van ▁Rab ov sky , ▁the ▁first ▁highly ▁public ized ▁defe ction ▁of ▁individuals ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁dance ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁from ▁the ▁Soviet ▁b loc . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁K ov ach ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁Budapest , ▁and ▁was ▁trained ▁as ▁a ▁dan cer ▁at ▁the ▁schools ▁of ▁the ▁Budapest ▁Opera ▁Bal let ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁K iro v ▁Bal let ▁in ▁L ening rad . ▁As ▁the ▁leading ▁d anc ers ▁of ▁the ▁Budapest ▁State ▁Opera , ▁K ov ach ▁and ▁Rab ov sky ▁were ▁sent ▁on ▁tour ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁to ▁East ▁Berlin . ▁With ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁intens ifying , ▁they ▁disappeared ▁from ▁a ▁scheduled ▁performance ▁and ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁board ▁a ▁sub way ▁train ▁in ▁a ▁station ▁located ▁under ne ath ▁their ▁hotel ▁and ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁escape ▁to ▁West ▁Berlin , ▁and ▁freedom , ▁by ▁board ing ▁a ▁train . ▁ ▁Career ▁Inter view ed ▁by ▁Time ▁magazine ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁after ▁her ▁defe ction , ▁K ov ach ▁described ▁the ▁strugg les ▁in ▁her ▁mind ▁