Welcome to our 12th #womanoftheweek! Today, we will be discussing Maria Tallchief, a Native American ballerina! Enjoy!
Major accomplishments
-The first Native American to dance for the Paris Opera Ballet
- Was awarded the National Medal of the Arts.
- The first Native American woman to be the prima ballerina
Maria Tallchief was a ballerina that impacted the ballet industry heavily. Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief was born on the Osage reservation on January 24th, 1925. When she graduated high school, she moved to New York to pursue ballet as a full time career. However, in the beginning, she was discriminated against by Ballet Companies and rejected for roles due to her ancestry. Companies even asked her to change last name, but she refused because she wasn’t ashamed of her heritage.
In the following years of her move, she attracted attention from her beautiful performances. In addition, she excelled in George Balanchie’s choreographies. She married Balanchie in 1946 and moved to Paris, France. There she became the first Native American to perform in the Paris Opera Ballet. Soon after, the couple formed the Balanchine Ballet society, now known as the New York City Ballet, and Tallchief became the first Native American woman to hold the title of prima ballerina. Her most influential performances included Firebird, The Nutcracker, and the Swan Lake.
After retirement, she opened the Chicago Ballet. The state of Oklahoma honored with the title of Princess Wa-Xthe-Thomba which stands for “Woman of Two Worlds.” The title represented her travels around the world. In addition, in 1999, she was presented with the National Medal of the Arts. She revolutionized the ballet industry with her flawless grace and technique. The wonderful thing about Tallchief that no matter what amount of fame she got, she never forgot her heritage as a Native American woman.
This is a Woman of the Week article, a weekly deep dive into an amazing women of color. For more incredible stories like this one, check out our article on Kalpana Chawla and Chien Shieng Wu! Also, make sure to follow us at @likeagirlglobal on Instagram for more updates and original content!
What events in her life inspired you the most? Comment below!
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