“A ballerina takes steps given to her and makes them her own. Each individual brings something different to the same role.” ~Maria Tallchief
Maria Tallchief was the first American Prima Ballerina and the first Native American to hold the title. She was an incredibly talented dancer who helped transform the world of modern ballet. She paved the way for ballerinas who broke the traditional mold and broke down ethnic barriers in the industry.
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief was the daughter of a wealthy Osage chief and grew up on the Osage reservation in Oklahoma. Her mother grew up poor, so she could not pursue her interest in dance. She refused to give her daughters the same experience, so she encouraged them to pursue any performance art they were interested in. Tallchief chose dance. Her first dance instructor skipped over basic technique, so even though Tallchief fell in love with the art, she felt like her instruction was lacking.
In 1933, the Tallchief family moved to Los Angeles, and Tallchief started taking classes from Bronislava Nijinska. Tallchief respected Nijinska; she felt like she was the embodiment of ballet, strong, beautiful, and disciplined. Nijinska is the reason Tallchief lived and breathed ballet. She taught her students that ballet is a full-time job, not just something you focus on for an hour a day, and helped Tallchief realize she wanted to be a professional ballerina.
When she was 15, Tallchief's teacher staged three public ballets for the students to perform in. As one of the top students, she expected a lead role but was devastated when she was cast as part of the corps de ballet, the ensemble. Her mother convinced her to look at it with a different mindset; it wasn't humiliating, it was still a big opportunity. She continued to work hard, earning a lead role in Chopin Concerto.
After graduating, Tallchief took a job dancing in a movie and hated it, so she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a professional ballerina. She visited Serge Denham's company, which she had auditioned for in the past but was told there was no space. A couple of days later, she got a call and was offered a temporary spot because she had something they needed: a passport. They were about to start a Canadian tour, and many of their dancers couldn't leave the country; Tallchief could. She was offered a permanent spot at the company once the tour ended.
Once Tallchief was offered a permanent spot in the company, Denham suggested she change her name to something less traditional. This had been suggested before, but Tallchief refused, as she was proud of her family name and heritage. However, she agreed to use a modified version of her middle name, so Maria Tallchief was born. She quickly earned a reputation as a hard worker, taking classes whenever they were in the city and studying under the principal dancers on tour. She was cast as the understudy for the first ballerina in Chopin Concerto, and in 1943, she performed the role when the original dancer quit. Despite being terrified, she received rave reviews from a top dance critic who predicted she would quickly become a shining star.
In 1944, George Balanchine was hired by the company to choreograph a new ballet. Tallchief was immediately drawn to his style; it was elegant, simple, and perfect, everything she felt ballet should be. He gave her a solo in the ballet, which led to her getting a raise and promotion to soloist in the company. Balanchine stayed with the company and continued to cast Tallchief in more roles. She often said his steps were so enjoyable that it didn't feel like work. The choreographer pushed Tallchief to go back and study basic ballet technique, an area she knew her training lacked. She began to study under him and quickly became an even stronger and more technical dancer. This led to her being the first-ever dancer to perform the role of Coquette in Night Shadow, the most technically challenging role in the ballet.
Tallchief moved to Paris for six months as a guest performer, becoming the first American to perform with the Paris Ballet. When she moved back to New York, she became one of the first stars and the first Prima Ballerina of the New York City Ballet. Balanchine was starting to change the world of ballet, demanding more speed, athleticism, and technically perfect dancing. Tallchief was well suited to his style, so he started creating roles just for her, including the infamous Firebird, which launched her to the top of the ballet world. She also played the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, launching the show into mainstream success.
She retired at the age of 40, refusing to dance past her prime. Instead, she became a dance teacher and eventually founded the Chicago City Ballet. She has received many awards for her work, including an induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame, National Native American Hall of Fame, The American National Medal of Arts, and her image on two coins, the 2023 Sacagawea Dollar and a 2023 American Women Quarter. She was also given the title of "Princess Wa-Xthe-Thomba," meaning woman of two worlds, from the Osage Nation.
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) discussed the design for the 2023 Maria Tallchief Quarter at their meeting on April 19, 2022. Tallchief's daughter, Elise Paschen, was present to share her thoughts. Paschen said that she felt the design showed her mother's glory and magnificence. She mentioned that she has struggled to connect to the image of her mother in other awards because the representations have a disconnect, but she didn't have that issue with this coin. She felt it was a strong and accurate representation.
This image of Tallchief is dynamic yet elegant, just like she was. It shows her in her Firebird costume, the role that launched her career. She is leaping center stage, in the middle of a spotlight, showing off the strength, beauty, and effortlessness of her skill. An Osage translation of her name has been included to highlight the importance of her Native heritage, and the title, “America's Prima Ballerina,” was included because it was the honorary title she was given and the title of her autobiography.