Maria tallchief ballerina biography

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    Maria Tallchief

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    Who Was Maria Tallchief?

    Maria Tallchief was the first Native American (Osage Tribe) woman to break into ballet. Tallchief grew up in Los Angeles, California, where she studied ballet for many years. Her career as a ballerina spanned the globe and led to a short marriage to George Balanchine.

    Early Life and Career

    Born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief on January 24, , in Fairfax, Oklahoma, Tallchief was one of the country's leading ballerinas from the s to the '60s. The daughter of an Osage tribe member, she was also a trailblazer for Native Americans in the world of ballet. Tallchief grew up in Los Angeles, California, where she studied ballet for years, working with Ernest Belcher and Bronislava Nijinska.

    During her early career, in the s, Tallchief danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. It was also around this time that she became known professionally as Maria Tallchief, combining the two parts of her Indian name. In , she became the first prima ball

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    Maria Tallchief

    American ballerina (–)

    Maria Tallchief
    𐓏𐒰𐓐𐒿𐒷-π“π“‚Ν˜π“„π’°

    Tallchief in

    Born

    Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief


    ()January 24,

    Fairfax, Oklahoma, U.S.

    DiedApril 11, () (aged&#;88)

    Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

    OccupationPrima ballerina
    Years&#;active–
    Height5&#;ft 9&#;in (&#;m)[1]
    Spouses

    George Balanchine

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    (m.&#;; ann.&#;)&#;

    Elmourza Natirboff

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    (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#;

    Henry D. Paschen Jr.

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    (m.&#;; died&#;)&#;
    ChildrenElise Paschen
    Career
    Former&#;groupsBallet Russe dem Monte Carlo
    New York City Ballet
    Dances
    • Sugar Plum Fairy in Balanchine's Nutcracker
    • Title character in Balanchine's Firebird

    Maria Tallchief, born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief (𐓏𐒰𐓐𐒿𐒷-π“π“‚Ν˜π“„π’° "Two-Standards"; Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa, Osage script: 𐒼𐒱𐒹𐒻𐒼𐒰-π“†π“ˆπ’·π“Šπ’·; January 24, &#;– April 11, ), w

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    Maria Tallchief

    By Arlisha R. Norwood, NWHM Fellow |

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

    Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief was born January 24, in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Her father was a member of the Osage Nation. Her mother, Ruth Porter, had grown up very poor and was never able to take dancing lessons. When Tallchief and her sister Marjorie showed interest in dancingΒ their mother immediately placed them in lessons. Tallchief excelled at dance and music. During her teen years, the family moved to Los Angeles, California in hopes of securing adv

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