Grace of dancer captured

Page 15

REVIEW

Maria Tallchief:

America's Prima Ballerina

By Maria Tallchief with Larry Kaplan

NY: Holt, 1997, 351 pages,

The name Maria Tallchief is synonymous with the grace, elegance and art of ballet. The book, Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina, is a stunning autobiographical account of a spectacular life lived by a one-time Osage reservation resident.

"My father was a full-bloodied Osage Indian," writes Tallchief, ". . . I felt my father owned the town." Maria Tallchief grew up in Fairfax, Oklahoma on the Osage reservation. Her father and family prospered because of the location of oil on the reservation. Tallchief tells of the Osage history, even its "Reign of Terror," as intruders murdered Native people for their headrights to oil and natural resources. Her history of her family's prosperity, pain, and participation in powwows and Aboriginal ceremonies offers insight into the prima ballerina's background and worldview.

Tallchief's Scot-Irish mother enrolled Maria and her sister Marjorie in ballet classes when Tallchief was three.

"What I remember most," the prima ballerina writes, "is that the ballet teacher told me to stand straight and turn each of my feet out to the side, the first position. I couldn't believe it. But I did what I was told."

Tallchief progressed to ballet auditions and a small role in Judy Garland's Presenting Lily Mars. Her dedication to dance prepared her for her move to New York, where she embarked on a glittering life filled with dance, romance, and art.

George Balanchine, ballet master, found inspiration in Tallchief's angular form and grace. He created roles and rhythms for her and with her launched the New York City Ballet. As Tallchief became Balanchine's muse, his creations made her his superstar.

Maria Tallchief shares moments in her love life, from her first flirtations to her final marriage, but it is her union with Balanchine which dominates the pages, as well as her art.

"He was the personification of music and dance, which were my all consuming passions," she writes.

Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina is a tale of devotion, dedication, and dance. Tallchief speaks of a life lived on stages and in spotlights with revealing warmth. Her autobiography is a celebration of excellence and story of interest to readers interested in art, Native America or women's history.