Maria Tallchief

Artist

Philippe Halsman, 02 May 1906 - 25 Jun 1979

Sitter

Maria Tallchief, 24 Jan 1925 - 11 Apr 2013

Exhibition Label

Born Fairfax, Oklahoma

Maria Tallchief once said, “A ballerina takes steps given to her and makes them her own. As an American, I believe in great individualism. That’s the way I was brought up.”

Born on an Osage reservation, she studied with renowned dancer Bronislava Nijinksa after her family moved to Los Angeles. In the 1940s, Tallchief became one of America’s leading ballerinas, known for her dazzling technique and passion. She performed with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and then with George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet. She was briefly married to Balanchine, and two of his legendary choreographies, The Firebird and The Nutcracker, were created for her: she embodied the sleek athleticism that was his signature.

Tallchief joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1960 and was Rudolf Nureyev’s partner for his 1962 American television debut. She later founded the Chicago City Ballet.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Steve Bello in memory of Jane Halsman Bello

1956

Object number

NPG.2004.43

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Philippe Halsman Archive

Type

Photograph

Medium

Gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions

Image: 34.7 x 27.2cm (13 11/16 x 10 11/16")

Sheet: 35.5 x 27.8cm (14 x 10 15/16")

Mat: 71.1 x 55.9cm (28 x 22")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Jewelry\Bracelet

Interior\Studio\Dance

Maria Tallchief: Female

Maria Tallchief: Performing Arts\Dance Instructor

Maria Tallchief: Performing Arts\Performer\Dancer\Ballet

Maria Tallchief: Performing Arts\Director\Dance

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.2004.43

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4aa7a7fff-b69f-4c0d-bdfd-ac34170cf6fe