Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Maria Tallchief

Role / Field:

Pioneering Osage ballerina, America's first major prima ballerina.

Born:

1925-01-24

Died:

2013-04-11

Century / Era:

1925s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Maria Tallchief, born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief (𐓏𐒰𐓐𐒿𐒷-𐓍𐓂͘𐓄𐒰 "Two-Standards"; Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa, Osage script: 𐒼𐒱𐒹𐒻𐒼𐒰-𐓆𐓈𐒷𐓊𐒷; January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013), was an Osage ballerina. She was America's first major prima ballerina and the first Native American to hold the rank. Together with Georgian-American choreographer George Balanchine, she is widely considered to have revolutionized American ballet. Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, on January 24, 1925, as the third child of Alexander Joseph Tall Chief (1890–1959), a member of the Osage Nation, and his second wife, Ruth (née Porter), of Scottish-Irish descent.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Porter had met Alexander Tall Chief, then a widower, while visiting her sister, who was his mother's housekeeper at the time. Elizabeth Marie was known as "Betty Marie" to friends and family. Elizabeth Tall Chief's paternal great-grandfather, Peter Bigheart, had helped negotiate for the Osage concerning rights to mineral and other resources of their reservation land. When oil was discovered, oil revenues enriched members of the Osage Nation. Her father grew up with wealth, never working "a day in his life." In...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Albert Bandura — Contemporary (Born in 1925) (1925): Pioneering psychologist known for Social Cognitive Theory and self-efficacy.
• Alexander Shulgin — Contemporary (Born in 1925) (1925): Pioneering biochemist known for synthesizing and exploring over 200 psychoactive compounds.
• Alfred Baphethuxolo Nzo — Contemporary (Born in 1925) (1925): Prominent South African politician and long-serving ANC leader.
• Aaron Swartz — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• Alden W. Clausen — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): American businessman, former President of the World Bank and Bank of America CEO.
• Arthur Danto — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Philosopher and art critic known for 'The End of Art' theory.
• Amedeo Modigliani — Shared historical date (01-24 · Died) (1920): Italian painter and sculptor known for elongated, modern portraits and nudes.
• B. V. Doshi — Shared historical date (01-24 · Died) (2023): Pioneering Indian architect, celebrated for modernist and brutalist discourse.
• Anawrahta — Shared historical date (04-11 · Died) (1077): Founder of the Pagan Empire, unifying Upper Burma and establishing Burmese national identity.
• Andrew Wiles — Shared historical date (04-11 · Born) (1953): English mathematician renowned for proving Fermat's Last Theorem.
• 1925 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1925
• January 24 (01-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 24
• 2013 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2013
• April 11 (04-11) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 11

Frequently Asked Questions about Maria Tallchief