Research Guides: Maria Tallchief: Biography

Maria Tallchief (January 24, 1925 - April 11, 2013)

One of the most celebrated ballerinas of the 20th century, Maria Tallchief was known for the brilliance of her dancing--for her daring, her speed, her musicality, and her showmanship. In 1949 she burst upon the scene in Balanchine's Firebird to become the first star of the nascent New York City Ballet. As Jacques d'Amboise observed, "Maria and the word 'grand' go together as the ballerina best representing classical American ballet. Maria was in the pantheon above Mount Everest." Tallchief's groundbreaking career played a major role in the development of 20th-century ballet in the U.S. As a muse to Balanchine in the late 1940s and '50s, she inspired some of his most enduring works. His ballet Orpheus was instrumental in the creation of the New York City Ballet itself. It is said that Tallchief's personal charisma as Eurydice was crucial to the new company's formation in 1948. Continue . . .

Source: Reynolds, Nancy. “Maria Tallchief.” Dance Magazine, vol. 87, no. 7, July 2013, p. 57. From Academic Search Complete database.

Book Collection

Resources

Maria Tallchief, Brilliant American Ballerina Who Broke Barriers, Dies NPR reporting the death of Maria Tallchief in 2013.
THE DANCER: Maria Tallchief This article profiles Maria Tallchief. Born in Fairfax in 1925, she was the daughter of an affluent Osage father and a Scots-Irish-descended mother but spent the majority of her formative years in Beverly Hills, California, a far cry from Osage territory. After World War II, as most American women settled into motherhood, Tallchief devoted body and soul to her career. She is, by all accounts, a doting grandma. More impressive, she is a grandma who can still do the splits. On a recent doctor visit, she amazed the physician by executing the tendon-twanging maneuver in his office, another in a series of astounding performances.
The Osage Firebird Profiles prima ballerina Maria Tallchief.
Web Extra: Maria Tallchief 2007 Look back at a 2007 Chicago Stories segment about Maria Tallchief.
Web Extra: Maria Tallchief 1978 Look back at a 1978 John Callaway Interviews episode with Maria Tallchief.
Maria Tallchief and Nicholas Magallanes - 'Allegro brillante' Maria Tallchief in 'Allegra Brillante', choreographed by Balanchine. 1956.
Maria Tallchief—Osage Native And America’s First Prima Ballerina: Hidden Figuras As the country’s first prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief put American ballet on the map. She played an integral role in making the New York City Ballet world-renowned and even brought the Nutcracker from obscurity into the American zeitgeist.
Maria Tallchief: Osage Prima Ballerina Library of Congress blog on Maria and a brief history of her life

From Films On Demand database:

Maria Tallchief coaching excerpts from Pas de Dix Maria Tallchief coaching at the New York City Ballet for a performance of 'Pas de Deux'.
Maria Tallchief coaching excerpts from Firebird Maria Tallchief coaching at the New York City Ballet for a performance of 'Firebird'.