2018 – Arts,

Maria Tallchief, original name Elizabeth Marie Tallchief (Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa) was considered America’s first major prima ballerina.  She was the first Native American to hold the rank, and is said to have revolutionized ballet. When she was eight, her family relocated from her birth home of Fairfax, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles, California. The purpose of the move was to advance the careers of Maria and her younger sister, Marjorie. Both sisters became dance professionals. 

At age 17, she moved to New York City in search of a spot with a major ballet company. She spent the next five years with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where she met choreographer George Balanchine. When Balanchine co-founded what would become the New York City Ballet in 1946, Tallchief became the company’s first star. The combination of Balanchine’s difficult choreography and Tallchief’s passionate dancing revolutionized ballet. Her 1949 role in The Firebird catapulted Tallchief to the top of the ballet world, establishing her as a prima ballerina. Her role as the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker transformed the ballet from obscurity to America’s most popular.

Other notable roles Tallchief created under Balanchine include the Swan Queen in Balanchine’s version of Swan Lake and Eurydice in Orpheus. She created the lead role of “Prodigal Son,” “Jones Beach,” “A La Françaix,” and plotless works such as “Sylvia Pas de Deux,” “Allegro Brillante,” “Pas de Dix,” and “Symphony in C.” One of her last performances was a 1966 title role in Peter van Dyk’s Cinderella, before she retired from dancing, not wishing to dance beyond her prime.

She traveled the world, becoming the first American to perform in Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater. She made regular appearances on American TV before she retired in 1966. After retiring from dance, Tallchief was active in promoting ballet in Chicago. She served as director of ballet for the Lyric Opera of Chicago for most of the 1970s and debuted with the Chicago City Ballet. 

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Russ TallChief (Osage), M.A. – On Behalf Maria TallChief (Osage) from James Shield on Vimeo.