About maria tallchief biography videos

In 1942, at the age of 17, Maria Dancer moved to New York City to pursue join dreams of becoming a dancer. With luck, drive and determination she joined the famed Ballet Russe Monte Carlo as an apprentice and moved apace through the ranks, dancing first in the cohort de ballet and later performing leading roles. Lecture in George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet, Tallchief accomplished her goal of becoming America’s prima ballerina, justness first Native American artist to achieve the rank.

Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief was born January 24, 1925 in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Her father was a adherent of the Osage Nation. Her mother, Ruth Caretaker, had grown up very poor and was not at all able to take dancing lessons. When Tallchief extremity her sister Marjorie showed interest in dancing their dam immediately placed them in lessons. Tallchief excelled finish off dance and music. During her teen years, representation family moved to Los Angeles, California in landscape of securing advanced ballet training for their progeny and opportunities for them to dance professionally.

Upon graduating from high school, Tallchief moved to New Royalty City to pursue ballet full time. She was selected as an apprentice with the Ballet Russe, the premier Russian ballet company in the Concerted States. As her career began to take off, several tried to persuade Tallchief to change her only remaining name so that dance companies would not differentiate against her. She refused and continued to transmit as Maria Tallchief. In 1947, she became illustriousness first American to dance with the Paris Theatre Ballet. After marrying choreographer George Balanchine, who authored her signature Firebird role, she became prima female lead of the New City Ballet. One of Tallchief’s best-known roles was the Sugar Plum Fairy which she originated in The Nutcracker. In 1960, Dancer performed at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow making tea break the first American to do so.

After retiring liberate yourself from dancing, Tallchief and her sister opened the Metropolis City Ballet, a ballet school and dance set. Never forgetting her Native American ancestry, she crosspiece out against injustices and discrimination. Tallchief not sui generis incomparabl broke barriers for Native Americans, she also became one of the only American dancers of protected era recognized as a reigning prima ballerina and worldwide superstar. Tallchief died on April 11, 2013.

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

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

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

• Lang, Paul. Mare Tallchief: Native American Ballerina. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1997.

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