Maria Tallchief, Osage Nation ballerina, passes away at age 88

Friday, April 12, 2013  

Maria Tallchief, a member of the Osage Nation who rose to fame as a ballerina, died on Thursday. She was 88.

Tallchief was born and raised on Osage territory in Oklahoma. Her family moved to California, where she made her stage debut at age 15, The Chicago Tribune reported. Two years later, she was touring with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where she met her first husband, George Balanchine, a noted choreographer.

The pair went on to create some of the most acclaimed works for the New York City Ballet in the 1940s and 1950s. The marriage only lasted six years but Tallchief's dance career went on for 18 years.

"My mother was a ballet legend, who was proud of her Osage heritage," her daughter, Elise Paschen, said in a statement to The Chicago Tribune. "Her dynamic presence lit up the room. I will miss her passion, commitment to her art and devotion to her family. She raised the bar high and strove for excellence in everything she did."

Get the Story:
Chicago dance legend, Balanchine muse (The Chicago Tribune 4/13)