Born January 24, 1925, Maria Tallchief was the daughter of a father who was a member of the Osage tribe and a mother who was of Scottish-Irish descent.
Tallchief took her first ballet lessons at age 3. In 1933, the family moved from Oklahoma to Los Angeles with the hopes of getting into show business. At age 12, Tallchief started taking very serious dance lessons with a reknowned choreographer. Tallchief grew as a dancer and began to perform. After graduating from high school, she left for New York at age 17.
Tallchief started performing with Ballet Rousse, an esteemed ballet troupe immediately upon arriving in New York. She quickly developed an impressive resume and good reviews. In 1944, George Ballanchine was hired on as choreographer for the Ballet Rousse troupe. He cast her as the lead in several of his dances. In 1946, he asked her to marry him.
Tallchief is considered America's first major prima ballerina. She enjoyed a long career on stage, and after retiring from ballet, she continued to make TV appearances and became a champion for ballet. She received a National Medal of the Arts and a Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime achievements. She died in April 2013.
