Maria Tallchief Biography

Ballet dancer, teacher, and artistic director. Born on January 24, 1925, in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Maria Tallchief was one of the country’s leading ballerinas from the 1940s to the 1960s. The daughter of a Osage tribe member, she was a trailblazer for Native Americans in the world of ballet. Growing up in Los Angeles, she studied ballet for years, working with Ernest Belcher and Bronislava Nijinska.

During her early career, Maria Tallchief danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1940s. During this decade, she met and became involved with the famed choreographer George Balanchine. While their marriage was short-lived—wed in 1946 and separated in 1951—the two worked well together. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1948, dancing to Balanchine’s choreography. She became a popular figure in ballet, performing in such works as Orpheus, Miss Julie, Firebird, and The Nutcracker. Tallchief earned strong reviews for her technical precision, musicality, and strength.

In 1957, she married Henry Paschen and took some time away from ballet after the birth of their daughter. She quickly returned to the stage. In addition to her work with the New York City Ballet, Tallchief was a guest performer with the American Ballet Theatre.

Since retiring in 1966, Maria Tallchief has worked with the Lyric Opera Ballet and the Chicago City Ballet, which she helped found. In 1996, she was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors for her contributions to the arts.

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