Marjorie Tallchief, last of Oklahoma's 'Five Moons' Native American ballerinas, dies

The last of Oklahoma's "Five Moons" has set.

Marjorie Tallchief — one of the five Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma who rose to global fame in the 20th century — died Nov. 30 at her home in Delray Beach, Florida.

She was 95.

"Aunt Margie was one of the most humble, sincere and gracious people I have ever known," Russ Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief's nephew and a writer and dancer based in Oklahoma City, told The Oklahoman.

"She told me that a great opportunity will present itself to every person at some point in time, but you have to be ready for that opportunity, just as she was when she stepped onto the world stage to represent her family, her Osage Nation and the United States as a world renowned ballerina.

From her start dancing in her father’s movie theater with her sister in their Oklahoma hometown, Tallchief performed around the world, achieving national and international acclaim.

The younger sister of famed fellow prima ballerina Maria Tallchief, Marjorie Louise Tallchief was born in Oct. 19, 1926, in Denver, Colorado, during a family vacation. Her parents were Alexander Joseph Tall Chief, a member of the Osage Nation, and his wife, Ruth Porter Tall Chief.

Her paternal great-grandfather had helped negotiate with the U.S. government for oil revenues that brought the Osage Nation vast wealth, and she grew up in Fairfax until her family moved to California when she was a girl so that she and her sister could further their ballet training.

She studied under prominent choreographers Ernest Belcher, Bronislava Nijinska and David Linchine, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

She accepted a position of leading soloist in the Original Ballet Russe, a traveling company that took ballet to small towns across America. She went on to perform with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas and the Chicago Opera Ballet.

She joined the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1957, and she was the first American ever to become première danseuse étoile, or "star dancer," the highest rank a performer can reach in the legendary company.

In 1958, she also became the first American ballerina since World War II to perform in Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, according to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, which inducted Tallchief in 1991.

Tallchief performed for U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as for French President Charles de Gaulle.

"The importance of Marjorie Tallchief to Oklahoma's artistic and cultural history cannot be overstated. As an Osage and native of Fairfax, she achieved success previously unthinkable in the world of ballet for someone of her background," Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson told The Oklahoman.

Artistic career continued after her retirement from the stage

Best known for her roles in ballets like "Romeo and Juliet," "Giselle" and "Idylle" — the latter was choreographed by her husband, George Skibine — Tallchief was prima ballerina with New York's Harkness Ballet from 1964 until 1966, when she retired from the stage.

She subsequently taught at the Dallas Civic Ballet Academy and acted as a dance director for the Dallas Ballet. In 1980, she helped her sister found and taught at the Chicago City Ballet.

From 1989 to 1993, Tallchief worked as director of dance at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. She retired to Delray Beach, Florida, where she was a fixture at local yoga and Pilates studios well into her 90s.

She was presented with a distinguished service award from the University of Oklahoma in 1992 and named one of the “50 Most Influential Oklahomans of the 20th Century” in 2000.

Tallchief married to Skibine, an artistic director, ballet master and choreographer, in 1947. They had twin sons and remained married until his death in 1981 at age 60.

Tallchief is survived by her sons, Alexander and George Skibine, and her grandchildren, Alexandre, Nathalie, Adrian and Trevor Skibine.

Five Moons leave a lasting legacy

Tallchief was the last surviving member of the "Five Moons," five Native American dancers from Oklahoma who took the international ballet world by storm in the 20th century. Along with Marjorie Tallchief, the Five Moons included her sister, Maria Tallchief (1925-2013), Yvonne Chouteau (1929-2016), Moscelyne Larkin (1925-2012) and Rosella Hightower (1920-2008).

The moniker “Five Moons” evolved from the Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festivals that took place in 1957 and 1967 to celebrate the 50th and 60th anniversaries of Oklahoma statehood. The 1967 festival included a ballet created by Cherokee composer Louis Ballard Sr. called "The Four Moons" performed by four of the five ballerinas — Maria Tallchief had retired from performing — featuring solos honoring each dancer's heritage.

Oklahoma Native American artist Jerome Tiger (Muscogee and Seminole) created a painting for the program cover titled "The Four Moons." Chickasaw painter Mike Larsen went on to depict the Five Moons in a state Capitol mural titled "Flight of Spirit," which was dedicated in 1991.

"Few Oklahomans warrant having their likeness enshrined in a monumental mural overlooking the Oklahoma State Capitol rotunda," said Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples in an email.

"Transforming the world of ballet while serving as an ambassador for Oklahoma and Native communities on an international stage is why there is a permanent space of prominence at the Capitol for Marjorie’s legacy to continue to be honored."

In 1997, the ballerinas returned to the state Capitol to be named Oklahoma Cultural Treasures.

“The designation of Oklahoma Cultural Treasure is rare and is reserved for individuals who bear intangible cultural assets and have outstanding artistic or historical worth," Sharples said. “We are saddened to learn of Marjorie’s death."

In 2007, artist Gary Henson's bronze sculpture “The Five Moons” was unveiled at the Tulsa Historical Society, and in 2020, the OU School of Dance announced two endowed scholarships in memory of the Tallchief sisters.

In August, OU School of Dance also honored the five dancers' legacies with the first Five Moons Dance Festival.

“I think it’s important for us to remember that Maria and Marjorie and all five of the ballerinas came ... from small rural reservation communities,” said Russ Tallchief, who helped to plan the Five Moons Dance Festival. “To have these women of color, representing not just American Indians, but America, on the ballet stage was profound.”

The Tallchief sisters were the focus of the inaugural festival, which was created not only to celebrate the achievements of the Five Moons but also to provide a platform for female choreographers from historically underrepresented populations.

"Marjorie's success continues to inspire new generations of Oklahomans to follow their dreams," Thompson said. "As a member of the Five Moons, she was named an Oklahoma Cultural Treasure and she will always be treasured in our hearts."

Services are pending.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Marjorie Tallchief, last of Oklahoma's Five Moons Native ballerinas, dies