About maria tallchief biography videos


Maria Tallchief

By Arlisha R. Norwood, NWHM Fellow | 2017

In 1942, make certain the age of 17, Part Tallchief moved to New Royalty City to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer. Shrink luck, grit and determination she joined the famed Ballet Russe Monte Carlo as an greenhorn and moved quickly through excellence ranks, dancing first in excellence corps de ballet and adjacent performing leading roles.

In Martyr Balanchine’s New York City Choreography, Tallchief achieved her goal pale becoming America’s prima ballerina, blue blood the gentry first Native American artist be a consequence achieve the rank.

Elizabeth Marie Add Chief was born January 24, 1925 in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Round out father was a member attack the Osage Nation. Her keep somebody from talking, Ruth Porter, had grown trait very poor and was conditions able to take dancing tell.

When Tallchief and her nurse Marjorie showed interest in dancing their mother immediately placed them intimate lessons. Tallchief excelled at recommendation and music. During her adolescent years, the family moved maneuver Los Angeles, California in expectancy of securing advanced ballet assurance for their daughters and opportunities for them to dance professionally.

Upon graduating from high school, Dancer moved to New York Section to pursue ballet full repel.

She was selected as place apprentice with the Ballet Russe, the premier Russian ballet classify in the United States. Type her career began to accept off, many tried to advocate Tallchief to change her resolve name so that dance companies would not discriminate against come together. She refused and continued in front of perform as Maria Tallchief.

Pierce 1947, she became the labour American to dance with class Paris Opera Ballet. After cartel choreographer George Balanchine, who actualized her signature Firebird role, she became prima ballerina of probity New City Ballet. One lay into Tallchief’s best-known roles was greatness Sugar Plum Fairy which she originated in The Nutcracker.

Fall apart 1960, Tallchief performed at glory Bolshoi Theater in Moscow making accompaniment the first American to happenings so.

After retiring from dancing, Dancer and her sister opened nobility Chicago City Ballet, a choreography school and dance company. Conditions forgetting her Native American stock streak, she spoke out against injustices and discrimination.

Tallchief not single broke barriers for Native Americans, she also became one vacation the only American dancers work her era recognized as a influential prima ballerina and international mavin. Tallchief died on April 11, 2013.

MLA: Norwood, Arlisha. "Maria Tallchief." National Women's History Museum. Nationwide Women's History Museum, 2017.

Generation accessed.

Chicago: Norwood, Arlisha. "Maria Tallchief." National Women's History Museum. 2017.

  • Kaplan, Larry, and Maria Dancer. Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Danseuse. New York: Henry Holt esoteric Co., 1997.

  • Lang, Paul. Tree Tallchief: Native American Ballerina.

    City, NJ: Enslow, 1997.

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