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Maria Tallchief
BIRTHDAY:
January 24, 1925
ABOUT HER
Maria Tallchief was born on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma, a member
of the Osage Tribe, and always enjoyed watching people dance. When her
family moved to Los Angeles, she began dance lessons.
Although no Native
American had ever been successful as a ballerina, Maria Tallchief decided
that this was just what she wanted to do. She became a member of the
New York City Ballet and was trained by Bronislava Nijinska. She started
first with the Russian Ballet and starred first in Firebird.
Maria Tallchief
and Ballanchine fell in love and married. They collaborated on several
ballets. The public's demand for her dancing was so great she danced
up to eight performances a week.
Maria Tallchief
made the dances look effortless and natural rather than artificial.
She was radiant, absolutely dedicated, and filled with abandon.
After retiring
from dancing herself, she became the artistic director of the Chicago
Lyric Opera Ballet and then founded and became the artistic director
of the Chicago City Ballet.
AWARDS/HONORS
- She won Rudolf
Nureyev's selection as his partner in the young Russian defector's
American debut on television.
- She premiered
in the following ballets: La Sonnambula, Symphonie Concertante, Capricorn
Concerto, Symphony in C, Orpheus, The guests, Firebird, Bourrée Fantasque,
Jones Beach, Sylvia Pas de Deux, Pas de Trois, Cappriccio Brillante,
A la Francaix, Swan Lake, Caracole, Scotch Symphony, Harlequinade
Pas de Deux, The Filly, or A Stablebloy's Dream, Nutcracker, Pas de
Dix, Allegro Brillante, Panamerica, Gounod Symphonie
LINKS TO LEARN
SO MUCH MORE
http://www.ens-lyon.fr/~esouche/danse/Tallchief.html
http://kennedy-center.org/explore/honors/html/1996/maria.html
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