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NYC Ballet


carolm

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At Covent Garden I was sitting next to an elderly man. During the intermission we began speaking about the ballet and ballet in general. He said that his memory went back a long time. I confided that 50 or so years ago I was a student at the NYC Ballet School and every now and then the class would be taken by Maria Tallchief or Nora Kaye. He replied: "You have made my day!"

Were they not both great dancers?

Carol

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Were they not both great dancers? 

Yes, they were both very great and very famous -- the superstars in ballet at the time. Maria Tallchief was THE star of New York City Ballet and Nora Kaye the star of ABT. Each appeared briefly with the "other" company, Kaye spending 3 years with NYCB and Tallchief guesting with ABT, but they were the icons of the NYCB and ABT, respectively, during the heydays of their careers. Unfortunately, Nora Kaye died of cancer at the age of 67. Tallchief, 5 years her junior, is still teaching ballet.

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Maria Tallchief has been hailed as the "First American Ballerina", seeing as she was truly AMERICAN(Native American, I forget which tribe and part Irish, I could be incorrect on that part.) I'd have to say the title fits! I have read a few of her biographies over the years and have most enjoyed her stories as one of the first dancers in America.

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Maria Tallchief has been hailed as the "First American Ballerina", seeing as she was truly AMERICAN(Native American, I forget which tribe and part Irish, I could be incorrect on that part.)
Tallchief's father was a full-blooded Osage Indian and her mother was of Scottish, Irish, AND Dutch heritage.
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Were they not both great dancers? 

Yes, they were both very great and very famous -- the superstars in ballet at the time. Maria Tallchief was THE star of New York City Ballet and Nora Kaye the star of ABT. Each appeared briefly with the "other" company, Kaye spending 3 years with NYCB and Tallchief guesting with ABT, but they were the icons of the NYCB and ABT, respectively, during the heydays of their careers. Unfortunately, Nora Kaye died of cancer at the age of 67. Tallchief, 5 years her junior, is still teaching ballet.

Oh that makes me feel good--that Maria Tallchief is still around. Does she have a web site? I would love to tell her how I have never forgotten being taught by her.

Carol

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Maria Tallchief has been hailed as the "First American Ballerina", seeing as she was truly AMERICAN(Native American, I forget which tribe and part Irish, I could be incorrect on that part.) I'd have to say the title fits! I have read a few of her biographies over the years and have most enjoyed her stories as one of the first dancers in America.

Do you remember the name of the book that you enjoyed?

TIA,

Carol

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http://www.oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-8061-3134-9

Lili Cockerille Livingston wrote "American Indian Ballerinas," a biographical study of four Native American dancers including both Tallchiefs, Rosella Hightower, and Yvonne Chouteau.

Thank you. I shall take a look at the book. I remember Rosella Hightower but have never heard of Yvonne Chouteau. Is she much younger than the other two?

Carol

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I remember Rosella Hightower but have never heard of Yvonne Chouteau.  Is she much younger than the other two?

Carol

No, she was also born in the 1920's. She is only four years younger than Maria Tallchief and three years younger than Marjorie.
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Carol, I am sorry I do not remember the name of the book! It was a small book, maybe 100 pages are so. I was around 11 or 12 when I read this so it was a few years ago. I'm sure if you go to the Library they can help you!

I shall do a search on Amazon and see what comes up.

Carol

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Carol, I am sorry I do not remember the name of the book! It was a small book, maybe 100 pages are so.

Was it Olga Maynard's Bird of Fire - The Story of Maria Tallchief ? It's about 200 pages, published in 1961. I have this book and it is written for children.

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Yvonne Chouteau is quite a few years younger than Hightower or the Tallchiefs. She was born in 1929 and her career was mainly with the Denham Ballet Russe. Some of her well known roles include the Prayer solo in Coppelia, Preghiera in Mozartiana and the Young Girl in LeBeau Danube. She was a fine dancer but not quite in the same class as Hightower or Maria Tallchief.

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Carol M

This is a golden opportunity, it's not every day one gets postings from someone who studied with Kaye and Tallcheif.

Please will you tell us all about them, what were they like in class? What kind of exercises did they give? The onus of their classes, the training. Which one did you prefer as a teacher, dancer? Did you see them at ABT and NYCB, how did they cope with the differing reps? Did their reps influence the classes they gave? Balanchine/Tudor/Robbins etc

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who's dying to know.

Many thanks

:D

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