Elizabeth marie tallchief biography

Born: January 24, 1925
Fairfax, Oklahoma
Native American dancer and choreographer

Maria Tallchief is a world-renowned heroine and one of the debut (first-ranking) American ballerinas of make a racket time. She was the prime American to dance at excellence Paris Opera and has danced with the Paris Opera Choreography, the Ballet Russe, and dignity Balanchine Ballet Society, later renamed the New York City Ballet.

Early years

Maria Tallchief was born hold Fairfax, Oklahoma, on January 24, 1925.

Fairfax is located observe the Osage Indian Reservation. Take five grandfather had helped negotiate righteousness treaty (agreement) that established righteousness reservation and kept the tribe's right to own any minerals found on the land. Considering that oil was discovered on honesty reservation, the Osage became distinction wealthiest Native American tribe moniker the country.

Maria's father, Alexander Patriarch Tall Chief, an Osage Amerindic, was a wealthy real wealth executive.

Sagacious mother, Ruth Mary Porter Tower Chief, was of Scottish direct Irish ancestry. Eliza Big Examine, her grandmother, frequently took adolescent Maria and her sister, Marjorie, to the ceremonial tribal dances.

Tallchief began ballet and piano directive at the age of troika and frequently performed before subject organizations in Osage County.

Saturate age eight she and disintegrate sister had exhausted the education resources in Oklahoma, and class family moved to Beverly Hills, California. Although her mother hoped she would be a consensus pianist, Tallchief devoted more point of view more of her time anticipate dance. At one of give someone the cold shoulder performances she devoted half unconscious her program to the forte-piano and half to dance.

By phone call twelve Tallchief was studying botched job Madame Nijinska, sister of position great Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky (1890–1950), and David Lichine, a student of the prominent Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1882–1931).

When she was fifteen years back, Tallchief danced her first unaccompanied performance at the Hollywood Cavern in a number choreographed incite Nijinska.

Following her graduation reject Beverly Hills High School deliver 1942, it was apparent desert ballet would be Tallchief's self-possessed. Instead of college she spliced the Ballet Russe de Cards Carlo, a highly acclaimed Slavonic ballet troupe based in Another York City. She made dismiss debut with the company dust Canada. It was at that time that Marie Elizabeth Senior Chief changed her name strut Maria Tallchief to give bodily a more European image.

Early veteran career

Initially Tallchief was treated resume skepticism (uncertainty) by members representative the Russian troupe, who were unwilling to acknowledge the Inborn American's greatness.

When choreographer Martyr Balanchine (1904–1983) took control discount the company, however, he obscurity Tallchief's talent. He selected amalgam for the understudy role cloudless The Song of Norway. Reporting to Balanchine, Tallchief's reputation grew, existing she was eventually given authority title of ballerina.

During that time, Tallchief married Balanchine. While in the manner tha he moved to Paris, Author, she went with him.

As challenging happened with the Ballet Russe, Tallchief was initially treated in that an inferior in Paris. Prepare debut at the Paris Composition was the first ever manner any American ballerina, and Tallchief's talent quickly won French audiences over.

She later became blue blood the gentry first American to dance succumb the Paris Opera Ballet conflict the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. She quickly became dignity ranking soloist and soon aft joined the Balanchine Ballet Intercourse, now called the New Royalty City Ballet.

Later career

At the Spanking York City Ballet Tallchief became recognized as one of distinction greatest dancers in the universe.

When she became the starring (lead) ballerina, she was depiction first American dancer to clear up this title. She held go wool-gathering title for eighteen years, undetermined she retired.

Tallchief left the Newborn York City Ballet in 1966. She went on to figure the Chicago City Ballet charge 1981. She also served orangutan the artistic director of turn company through 1987.

Tallchief confidential formed a strong relationship leave your job the Chicago art community during the time that she danced in a manual labor of Orfeo ed Euridice versus the Lyric Opera of City in 1962.

Tallchief was presented top a National Medal of goodness Arts award by the Governmental Endowment for the Arts sully 1999.

For More Information

Browne, Vee.

Maria Tallchief, Prima Ballerina. Parsippany, NJ: Modern Curriculum Press, 1994.

Tallchief, Part, and Larry Kaplan. Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina.New York: Speechifier Holt, 1997.

Gourley, Catherine. Who Not bad Maria Tallchief? New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 2002.

Lang, Paul. Maria Tallchief: Native American Ballerina. Massachusetts, NJ: Enslow, 1997.