SPEAKER_01: Hello, I'm Jordan Marie Brings, Three White Horses Daniel, I'm Koli Tashia Lakota, and I'm the founder and organizer of Rising Hearts, a professional runner, and also a filmmaker. And today I'm excited to introduce Maria Talchief. Maria stands out to me because she was the first native to hold rank as one of the first major prima ballerinas and really revolutionized ballet. And I'm really happy to see that she's on this list because she just really helped pave the way for representation for native peoples, but also as a native woman doing what she loved, what she was passionate about. I'm really excited for you all to learn more about her. And now here's host Jenny Kaplan to tell you all about Maria Talchief.
SPEAKER_04: Hello, from Wunder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanaka. Today we're talking about the first indigenous ballerina in history to receive international recognition. She was the highest paid ballet dancer in her time and gave new life to the American ballet scene. Let's talk about Maria Talchief. Maria was born Elizabeth Marie Talchief on January 24th, 1925 in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Her father, Alexander, was a member of the Osage tribe and her mother Ruth was of Scots-Irish descent. Maria had an older brother, George, and a younger sister, Marjorie. Growing up, Maria lived an affluent life. When her father was a boy, oil was discovered on Osage land and the tribe became quite wealthy. Maria recalled in her memoir that she felt her father owned the town. From the local movie theater to the pool hall, he had a lot of property. Her family also owned a summer house in Colorado Springs where Maria had her first ballet lesson at the age of three. The arts were important to Maria's family. She and her sister learned concert piano alongside dance from a young age. But dance quickly became their focus. When Maria was eight years old, her family moved to Los Angeles. The day they arrived, Maria went to a drug store with her mom and sister to get some snacks. While waiting for their order, Maria's mom asked the clerk if he knew of any dance teachers in the neighborhood. He recommended Ernest Belcher, the father of famous TV star Marj Champion. Maria's mom took his recommendation and from there, Maria's future began to unfold. Maria later recounted in her memoir, "...an anonymous man in an unfamiliar town decided our fate with those few words." At 12 years old, Maria began rigorous training under the tutelage of the renowned Polish dancer Bronislava Nijinska. Maria received special encouragement from her teacher. During the height of World War II, Maria signed on to join the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in New York. Her colleagues often tried to convince Maria to change her name to sound more Eastern European. But Maria refused to change Tallchief to Tolcheva. She was proud of her Osage surname. Instead, she changed Marie to Maria and called it a day. Maria danced in several ensembles and musicals. She made a name for herself as she pioneered balletic Americana. She began to catch the eye of George Balanchine, a famous Georgian choreographer. Their fondness of each other's genius led the two to marry in 1946. Their relationship wasn't necessarily steamy or passionate. Maria said, Together, they were an unstoppable force. Balanchine created several noteworthy roles for Maria. Her most celebrated performance was perhaps as the title role in Firebird, an elaborate dance based on Russian folklore. Still, the relationship didn't last. Within four years of marriage, the couple divorced. They maintained a working relationship. From 1954 to 1955, Maria returned to the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo. There, she received a $2,000 per week salary from the company, the most any ballet dancer had ever been paid. Though she was earning a lot of money, Maria grew disappointed with the company and left after one season. She moved instead to the New York City Ballet, where she remained for another decade. In 1956, she married Henry Passion, a wealthy construction executive. The couple had one daughter together named Elisa. In 1965, Maria thought she'd retire completely from ballet. But nine years later, the Lyric Opera of Chicago hired Maria to teach a group of touring dancers. Later, Maria and her sister created their own ballet house, the Chicago City Ballet, in 1980. Maria received high praise and recognition throughout her life. She was inducted to the National Women's Hall of Fame and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1996. The Oklahoma State Senate also declared June 29th Maria Tall Chief Day. Maria passed away at the age of 88. All month, we're honoring the legacies of Indigenous women. For more, check out our Facebook and Instagram, at Wamanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow!
SPEAKER_04: She moved instead to the New York City Ballet, where she remained for another decade. In 1956, she married Henry Passion, a wealthy construction executive. The couple had one daughter together named Elisa. In 1965, Maria thought she'd retire completely from ballet. But nine years later, the Lyric Opera of Chicago hired Maria to teach a group of touring dancers. Later, Maria and her sister created their own ballet house, the Chicago City Ballet, in 1980. Maria received high praise and recognition throughout her life. She was inducted to the National Women's Hall of Fame and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1996. The Oklahoma State Senate also declared June 29th Maria Tall Chief Day. Maria passed away at the age of 88. All month, we're honoring the legacies of Indigenous women. For more, check out our Facebook and Instagram, at Wamanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow!
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