Marjorie Louise Tallchief (b. 1926)

• First Native American danseuse étoile in the Paris Opera • Danced for Heads of State

Known as one of the Five Moons, celebrated ballerina Marjorie Louise Tallchief (Osage descent) was the younger sister of acclaimed ballerina, Maria Tallchief. Marjorie was born in Denver, Colorado but grew up in Fairfax, Oklahoma, along with her siblings, including her brother, Gerald. The family moved to Los Angeles to further the girls' ballet training.

There, Marjorie studied under Ernest Belcher, teacher and dance director, whose school of dance in 1942 was considered the finest in Los Angeles. In addition, Tallchief was tutored by renowned Polish ballerina, Bronislava Nijinska, at her Sch...