Elizabeth "Marie" Tallchief, born January 24, 1924 in Fairfax, Oklahoma, became America's first major prima ballerina and the first Native American (Osage) to hold the rank. She started dancing at age three and when she was eight, her family moved to Los Angeles hoping to advance their daughters' dance careers. Both Marie and her younger sister Marjorie studied dancing and both became leading figures in the world of ballet.
At 17, she moved to New York City and danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. There, she met choreographer George Balanchine. With his difficult choreography and her passion for dancing, ballet was revolutionized. Her performance as the Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker changed the ballet from obscure to being America's favorite.
In 1949, her role in The Firebird, a work by Igor Stravinsky, put her on top of the ballet world. She became the first American to perform in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater.
She retired in 1966, and actively promoted ballet in Chicago, serving as the director of ballet for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award from the Kennedy Center.
She passed away in April 2013 in Chicago from complications from hip surgery the previous December.
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