Oklahoma salutes its five Native American ballerinas.

OKLAHOMA CITY--Oklahoma celebrated its rich dance heritage on October 8, 1997, when Governor Frank Keating designated as Oklahoma Treasures the five Native American ballerinas who were born there in the 1920s and went on to achieve international renown--Yvonne Chouteau, Marjorie Tallchief, Maria Tallchief, Rosella Hightower, and Moscelyne Larkin.

The ceremony at the state capitol intermingled tribal and classical forms. The backdrop for the ceremony was an acrylic mural, Flight of Spirit, by Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen, showing the five dancers in pointe shoes and tutus [see Dancescape, June 1992, page 11]. On the podium each ballerina was presented with a Native American ceremonial shawl made by members of their respective tribes: Peoria/Shawnee (Larkin), Choctaw (Hightower), Osage (the Tallchiefs), and Cherokee (Chouteau).

The shawls are to be worn at contemporary powwows, where anyone can participate, no matter what attire is worn. "The shawl does honor to the drum," explained Effie Tee, president of the American Indian Cultural Society. "The dance arena, with the drum at center, is sacred. Today women wear the shawl over ritual or everyday dress to add beauty to the occasion and to show respect." Maria Tallchief said, "The beautiful shawls were new to me. My Grandmother Tall Chief in Fairfax wore an original Pendleton blanket that I remember fondly from my childhood."

Although distinctive as ballerinas, the five women share similar roots. All were born at a time when government edicts banned traditional tribal rituals. To keep ancestral cultures alive, powwows and other ceremonies were then held in secret. The five women still recall the excitement and respect they felt when they attended these covert dance gatherings as children.

All five moved to Los Angeles or New York City for further ballet training after initial study at home, and each joined a major ballet company as a teenager. Hightower, Larkin, Chouteau, and Maria Tallchief Carlo, and Marjorie Tallchief joined the ranks of Ballet Theatre at age seventeen.

Another constant in their careers was the late, great ballerina Alexandra Danilova. Chouteau, for instance, was inspired at age four to study ballet after seeing Danilova in Les Sylphides with Colonel de Basil's Original Ballet Russe in Oklahoma City. "I decided on the spot that classical dancing was more important than breathing," Chouteau recalled, "and this became my dream and my life." Danilova recommended Chouteau to Serge Denham for his company while Chouteau was studying at the School of American Ballet. Danilova also gave astute advice about roles and careers, such as telling Maria and Marjorie Tallchief that sisters must never dance in t e same company.

"We represent Danilova," stated Larkin "in her strong sense of responsibility to hand down the tradition and to give something back to communities where we have lived." Following many years of touring, she and her husband, Roman Jasinski, settled in Tulsa, and in 1956 founded what is now Tulsa Ballet Theatre and the school, now named the Jasinski Academy of Dance. "We held the first Indian Ballerina Festival in 1957," Larkin recalls.

Chouteau had also returned to Oklahoma to do missionary work or dance. She and her husband, Miguel Terekhov, established the Oklahoma Civic Ballet--currently Ballet Oklahoma--in Oklahoma City. Chouteau also taught dance classes at the University of Oklahoma in Norman after her father persuaded its president that students should have this novel elective. Oklahoma Festival Ballet is now staffed by students in Norman, and the university now has a dance department that offers bachelor's and master's of fine arts degrees in modern dance and ballet, with an emphasis on performance.

The other ballerinas have also been active as teachers after leaving the stage. Hightower, following a dazzling career in Europe, established the Centre de Danse Classique in Cannes. Marjorie Tallchief, the first American to become a premiere danseuse etoile at the Paris Opera, is now affiliated with Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. Maria Tallchief, who became an international star in works made on her by her then-husband, George Balanchine, is now affiliated with the foundation established to preserve his works and technique.