Maria Tallchief

Hello! My name is Maria Tallchief, and I was America’s first prima ballerina. My story begins on January 24th, 1925, in a small town called Fairfax, Oklahoma, right on the Osage Nation reservation. My father was a member of the Osage Nation, and I was very proud of my heritage. From a young age, I loved to move. I took piano lessons and dance lessons, and so did my sister, Marjorie. My family saw that we had a special talent, so in 1933, when I was eight years old, we moved all the way to California so we could get the best training.

In California, I studied with a famous teacher named Bronislava Nijinska. She was very strict! She taught me that to be a great dancer, I had to work harder than anyone else. I practiced for hours every single day, pushing myself to be better. All that hard work paid off. When I was a teenager, around 1942, I joined a famous traveling dance company called the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. It was a very exciting time. The company managers thought my full name, Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief, was too long for posters, so they suggested I use Maria Tallchief. It was at this company that I met a brilliant choreographer named George Balanchine. He saw something special in my dancing and knew I could become a star.

In 1947, I followed George Balanchine to New York City to help start a brand-new company, which became the famous New York City Ballet. I became its very first star, or 'prima ballerina.' George created amazing ballets just for me, designing dances that showed off my strength and speed. In 1949, I danced the lead role in a ballet he created called 'The Firebird.' The audience loved it! I had to leap and turn with so much energy that it left people breathless. But perhaps my most famous role came in 1954, when I became the first Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine’s new version of 'The Nutcracker.' That beautiful ballet is still performed every Christmas all over the world!

My dancing took me all around the globe. I performed for kings and queens and on the world's most famous stages. One of my proudest moments was in 1960, when I was the first American ballerina ever to dance at the famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Even though I traveled far, I never forgot where I came from. In 1953, the Osage Nation gave me a special honor and a new name: Wa-Xthe-Thomba, which means 'Woman of Two Worlds.' It was the perfect name for me—a girl from the Oklahoma prairie who became a star on the world's biggest stages. I was proud to represent my heritage and show that a Native American girl could achieve her biggest dreams.

I retired from dancing in the mid-1960s, but I couldn't leave the world of ballet behind. I wanted to help other young dancers find their passion, so I became a teacher. In 1981, I even started my own ballet company in Chicago to create more opportunities for dancers. I lived a full and happy life and was 88 years old when my story came to a gentle close. People remember me not just for my dancing, but for breaking barriers and showing the world what was possible. I hope my story inspires you to work hard for your dreams and to always be proud of who you are and where you come from.