Saturday 13 April 2013

Maria Tallchief 24 Jan 1925 to 11 April 2013



In my article on Olga Preobrajenska on 31 Mrch 2013 I quoted my friend Pamela Newton who recalled the visit of Maria Tallchief to the Salle Wacker. She recalls Tallchief's beauty. 

I had intended to feature Tallchief's life and work in this blog as one of the greatest living ballerinas but I am sad to report that she died on Thursday.

In its obituary published today the New York Times described her aptly as "one of the most brilliant American ballerinas of the 20th century,"  With the greatest respect to Jack Anderson who wrote this piece, I would remove the adjective "American" and substitute "in the world's".after "ballerinas" I never saw Tallchief on the stage but I did see her company and dancers who performed her roles who had been inspired by her.  Anderson quotes the choreographer, Jacques D'Amboise:
“When you thought of Russian ballet, it was Ulanova,” he said an interview on Friday. “With English ballet, it was Fonteyn. For American ballet, it was Tallchief. She was grand in the grandest way.”
The Washington Post Los Angeles Times and Time also feature photos of Tallchief in Swan Lake in 1953.  

I will write more about her life and work soon.

Comments

Lorraine Watson has kindly drawn my attention to this YouTube video of Maria Tallchief in George Balanchine's Firebird.  Her comment: "so beautiful".

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