Maria Tallchief & Royes Fernandez in Les Sylphides (vaimusic.com)

[ebonz2]

Mme. Tallchief's ballet technique may be of the highest Romantic order. Had she danced with or for the great Romanticist Fokine it would have been pure divinity. I think we should have more [and nothing but] Romantic esthetics. Please, see Dr Rand's "The Romantic Manifesto": at the Ayn Rand Bookstore. Thank you, Ms. Tallchief and God bless you. - E. Bonczyk II.

[ebonz2]

Ms. Tallchief's ballet technique may be of the highest Romantic order. Had she danced with or for the great Romanticist Fokine it would have been pure divinity. I think we should have more [and nothing but] Romantic esthetics. Please, see Dr Rand's "The Romantic Manifesto": at the Ayn Rand Bookstore. Thank you, Ms. Tallchief and God bless you. - E. Bonczyk II.

[LyricoSpinto]

Many years ago - I was a young singer with the Lyric of Chicago apprentice program. One of our Classes was to study with Ms Tallchief - I am sure she mast have been amused by our pathetic efforts - but I treasure the expedience to this day - Poetry in motion

[XtransylvanianX]

Maria and Marjorie are my cousins. Distant cousins, to be precise. Not sure how distant, though. My grandmother is a Tallchief, though she was raised by Americans. Alas, I am a very small sliver of Native American, but ballet still runs through my blood, as I am half Romanian.

It's lovely to see so man people still adore them after all this time.

[Cavaradossi1981]

hi!!! how lucky you are! i have received letters with autographed photos from both maria (chicago) and marjorie (florida)!!! and i know maria's daughter elise paschen very well!!!! god bless them!! marjorie was also greaaaat!

[ashdav03]

who else was she supposed to be raised by other indians?not like they have there own countrys just crappy bits of land...

[kayakbruce1]

@ashdav03 Yeah, sorry about that. I guess the first guy to show up with a gun wins. So much for divine plans.

[swanningaround]

XtransylvanianX There must be some talent in you with that background. Romanians are also great sopranos and gymnasts, as well as ballet. How does Romania produce so many stars for such a small country? Mme. Tallchief is also quite a relative to have. She was not the only Tallchief to be a famous ballerina either. Thank you for sharing your story with us. :)

[SweetUniverse]

@XtransylvanianX My grandmother was also a Tallchief and a cousin to the lady Maria ^_^

[BernardProfitendieu]

you are so lucky! I would love to meet her ... I saw her speak briefly when NYCB was in Chicago last year - and you're right, she is still very "beautiful, elegant, articulate & sophisticated".

Do you know if there are going to be other screenings?

[theoriginalsuzena]

I just got to meet Miss Tallchief & her daughter, poet Elise Paschen, yesterday at a Chicago screening of the Sandy Osawa PBS documentary, "Maria Tallchief."

At 83 years, Miss Tallchief is still beautiful, elegant, articulate & sophisticated.

The filmmaker is looking for funding to expand the 57 minute movie to a theatrical length. She would then be able to extend the dance sequences. Osawa said there are a lot of politics & expense involved with owners of Tallchief film clips.

[balletkido]

cool! she taught my mom for many years at the Lyric Opera

[usmcholmans]

Is there absolutely NO video footage anywhere of this angel performing Firebird?!

If so, that has to be the saddest tragedy of our dance history - not just for America, but for the world of dance, period....Maria Tallchief - a GENIUS unparalleled.

Oklahoma is grateful to have you and your sister ballerinas. TIMELESS.

[kayakbruce1]

@usmcholmans nice comment. I just discovered her. My life is richer.

[MrFalconford]

@usmcholmans tragedy is putting it mildly

[gabby2252]

love her!

[gabby2252]

im doing a project on her and im glad i am!

[krzyfrg95]

Maria Tallcheif is the artistic director of my ballet studio

[sallyofseattle]

Beautiful, she is so wonderful!

[1psoas9]

WOw, that' s the most poetic footage I've ever seen of Tallchief -- BEAUTIFUL back leg in arabesque, especially hte foot, wonderful stillness, and such musicality. The man's costume, redhotpinktwink, is the same that Nijinsky wore when he originated the role. Fernandez dances it very poeticdally; the designs are by the great Alexandre benois

[usmcholmans]

Although her sister Marjorie was a prima ballerina in her own right... to me, no one compares to Maria Tallchief in beauty, technique, passion and pefection.

God bless her, and her sister ballerinas...Oklahoma's own Five: Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower, and Moscelyne Larkin. They shaped the face of dance, and changed it forever.

[earthdanceth]

OMG, her footwork and lyricism are amazing! gave me chills. i can see why she is America's first prima ballerina.

[margarinefly55]

Oh, she is amazing!!

[redhotpinktwink]

WHO designed that man's costume?? I found myself losing focus on the dance just to stare at that bow and those SLEEVES!!!