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Native American prima ballerina Maria Tallchief Barbie doll dressed in Firebird ballet costume in box. 33 cm.
From the back of the box: " Barbie DOLL INSPIRING WOMEN MARIA TALLCHIEF PRIMA BALLERINA. VERY OFTEN YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW IT."
MARIA TALLCHIEF BECAME THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN TO RISE THROUGH THE RANKS AND BECOME PRIMA BALLERINA WITH THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET. HER JOURNEY BEGAN IN FAIRFAX, OKLAHOMA WHERE SHE GREW UP ON THE OSAGE NATION RESERVATION. RECOGNIZING HER EARLY TALENTS AND GIFTS AS A DANCER, HER PARENTS RELOCATED TO LOS ANGELES IN HOPES OF PROVIDING MARIA AND HER SISTER MARJORIE WITH ADVANCED BALLET TRAINING. AT 17, MARIA MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY TO PURSUE HER DREAM OF DANCING PROFESSIONALLY. DESPITE SUGGESTIONS TO CHANGE HER NAME, MARIA REFUSED; INSTEAD, SHE MADE "TALL CHIEF" ONE WORD AND PROUDLY KEPT HER LAST NAME THROUGHOUT HER CAREER.

EARLY IN HER CAREER, MARIA WAS SELECTED TO JOIN THE CORPS DE BALLET WITH THE FAMED BALLET RUSSE DE MONTE CARLO, WHERE SHE MET AND LATER MARRIED CHOREOGRAPHER GEORGE BALANCHINE. GEORGE COFOUNDED THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET WHERE HE CHOREOGRAPHED THE SIGNATURE ROLE IN THE FIREBIRD FOR HIS MUSE, MARIA; HER PERFORMANCE ESTABLISHED MARIA HELPED REIGNITE MARIA AS A PRIMA BALLERINA. INTEREST IN AMERICAN BALLET IN HER ROLE AS THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY IN THE NUTCRACKER.

AMONG HER ILLUSTRIOUS CREDITS ARE BEING THE FIRST AMERICAN TO DANCE WITH THE PARIS OPERA BALLET AND MOSCOW'S BOLSHOI THEATER. SHE PERFORMED AT THE LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO, AND AFTER RETIREMENT WAS APPOINTED BALLET DIRECTOR AT LYRIC WHERE SHE TAUGHT THE BALANCHINE TECHNIQUE. IN 1974, SHE AND HER SISTER FOUNDED THE CHICAGO CITY BALLET, A BALLET SCHOOL AND DANCE COMPANY, WHICH BECAME THE RESIDENT BALLET COMPANY FOR LYRIC. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, MARIA BROKE THROUGH BARRIERS AS A NATIVE AMERICAN BALLERINA. SHE IS AN INDUCTEE IN THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME, ONE OF THE FIRST INDUCTEES IN THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HALL OF FAME AND WAS AWARDED THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS. SHE IS FEATURED IN THE US AMERICAN WOMEN QUARTERS PROGRAM AND APPEARS ON A COIN BEARING HER LIKENESS AND OSAGE NAME ([symbols]) WHICH MEANS "TWO STANDARDS." MARIA TALLCHIEF'S LIFETIME DEDICATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO BALLET CONTINUE TO INSPIRE AND IMPACT THE DANCE WORLD.