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Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina
A fascinating self-portrait of the fairy-tale life of a woman who understood that a committed talent could transform the world around her.
"Maria Tallchief and American ballet came of age in the same moment.... Her story will always be the story of ballet conquering America. It was and is an American romance."-Arlene Croce, The New Yorker
"Maria Tallchief and American ballet came of age in the same moment.... Her story will always be the story of ballet conquering America. It was and is an American romance."-Arlene Croce, The New Yorker
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 28, 2020
3 stars for the writing (eh), 4 stars for learning more about what Balanchine was like.
Felicity is doing a big project on Maria Tallchief so we checked this out of the library and I read it first. As autobiographies go, this one does not SING with a great, witty voice, nor does it suffer from excessive, dry detail. The co-author also worked with another famous Balanchine ballerina on her memoir (Merrill Ashley) and there was a certain sameness to the two books as a result. I don't know if it was the dancers' voice or his that had a certain...well, self-congratulatory feel to it. I mean, Maria Tallchief is unquestionably one of the most important and greatest dancers in history, especially in American ballet. So she deserves all the lauds she got. But it is a little weird to have her -- the first-person (by definition) autobiographer -- insert SO much praise from the press and reviews. I didn't find it as off-putting as in Merrill Ashley's book, which was so over the top that it made me think that really was her voice. But it feels a little off. On the other hand, hey, she got rave reviews for her dancing so it was well-earned praise -- maybe it was the way it was incorporated into the text, sometimes couched in false modesty ("so I was surprised but gratified when the critics wrote..." etc), that was off-putting.
Here is the fun stuff. Her background is very interesting, of course. And she was already established at Ballet Russes when she met Balanchine. I like that while she really admired him, she wasn't like BLINDED with worshipfulness immediately. He was still pretty unknown and was working like crazy trying to do what he wanted with ballet in America. What interested me, too, was that he likewise was not obsessed with her, as he has the reputation of being with his ballerinas. They had a nice little friendship going and then his proposal to her came rather out of the blue, the way she tells it. I was very interested to learn what a kind, quiet, unassuming, intellectual, and witty man he was. I already have a favorable opinion of George Balanchine; I'm a regular at NYCB and I truly think his choreography is the greatest genius I have ever witnessed in the arts. His contribution to ballet cannot be overstated. People love to pin "me too" assumptions and standards on him, but I have read a LOT about the man, and he wasn't a gross, pervy guy. He was utterly absorbed in his work and I think he also liked the companionship of marriage, but didn't expect his wives to be fawning muses; they were all strong, smart and talented women who were their own people, very independent.
Anyway, there were many fun anecdotes which in the earlier part of her life seemed so charming (cooking dinner for the Stravinskys et al) but toward the end started to feel a bit like name-dropping (being asked by Jackie Kennedy to teach Caroline ballet lessons). It is fascinating to read about the formation of American ballet companies and how hard the creative minds worked to establish this art form in the US. Also, how hard the dancers worked! Maria Tallchief was absolutely tireless, and back then they really made almost no money.
She was a woman who had a lot of suitors, as well. And she was the one who wanted to separate from George Balanchine, because SHE fell in love with someone else. FYI.
OH, and I love the littttttle glimpses of sass you get about certain other dancers but it is VERY subtle and she didn't seem like a woman who was bitter or upset when younger dancers came into the limelight. She danced into her 40s and still got good roles and she knew exactly when to call it quits. What she WAS salty about: the way Balanchine ballets are taught, rehearsed and performed today. She was CLEARLY no fan of Peter Martins, although she doesn't mention him by name. But she mentions how former Balanchine dancers had been shut out of teaching and coaching at NYCB (which was true during the Martins era and has only now been remedied, but more's the pity that it's too late for the knowledge to have been passed into the company by Maria, Violette Verdy, and SO many others), and she is very clear that that is a huge loss and that the ballets are suffering as a result.
On the whole, I'm glad I read this. I think to a person who isn't SUPER interested in ballet, it might be a bit dry and draggy. But I admire her all the more even if she came off as a bit overly fond of her own press.
Felicity is doing a big project on Maria Tallchief so we checked this out of the library and I read it first. As autobiographies go, this one does not SING with a great, witty voice, nor does it suffer from excessive, dry detail. The co-author also worked with another famous Balanchine ballerina on her memoir (Merrill Ashley) and there was a certain sameness to the two books as a result. I don't know if it was the dancers' voice or his that had a certain...well, self-congratulatory feel to it. I mean, Maria Tallchief is unquestionably one of the most important and greatest dancers in history, especially in American ballet. So she deserves all the lauds she got. But it is a little weird to have her -- the first-person (by definition) autobiographer -- insert SO much praise from the press and reviews. I didn't find it as off-putting as in Merrill Ashley's book, which was so over the top that it made me think that really was her voice. But it feels a little off. On the other hand, hey, she got rave reviews for her dancing so it was well-earned praise -- maybe it was the way it was incorporated into the text, sometimes couched in false modesty ("so I was surprised but gratified when the critics wrote..." etc), that was off-putting.
Here is the fun stuff. Her background is very interesting, of course. And she was already established at Ballet Russes when she met Balanchine. I like that while she really admired him, she wasn't like BLINDED with worshipfulness immediately. He was still pretty unknown and was working like crazy trying to do what he wanted with ballet in America. What interested me, too, was that he likewise was not obsessed with her, as he has the reputation of being with his ballerinas. They had a nice little friendship going and then his proposal to her came rather out of the blue, the way she tells it. I was very interested to learn what a kind, quiet, unassuming, intellectual, and witty man he was. I already have a favorable opinion of George Balanchine; I'm a regular at NYCB and I truly think his choreography is the greatest genius I have ever witnessed in the arts. His contribution to ballet cannot be overstated. People love to pin "me too" assumptions and standards on him, but I have read a LOT about the man, and he wasn't a gross, pervy guy. He was utterly absorbed in his work and I think he also liked the companionship of marriage, but didn't expect his wives to be fawning muses; they were all strong, smart and talented women who were their own people, very independent.
Anyway, there were many fun anecdotes which in the earlier part of her life seemed so charming (cooking dinner for the Stravinskys et al) but toward the end started to feel a bit like name-dropping (being asked by Jackie Kennedy to teach Caroline ballet lessons). It is fascinating to read about the formation of American ballet companies and how hard the creative minds worked to establish this art form in the US. Also, how hard the dancers worked! Maria Tallchief was absolutely tireless, and back then they really made almost no money.
She was a woman who had a lot of suitors, as well. And she was the one who wanted to separate from George Balanchine, because SHE fell in love with someone else. FYI.
OH, and I love the littttttle glimpses of sass you get about certain other dancers but it is VERY subtle and she didn't seem like a woman who was bitter or upset when younger dancers came into the limelight. She danced into her 40s and still got good roles and she knew exactly when to call it quits. What she WAS salty about: the way Balanchine ballets are taught, rehearsed and performed today. She was CLEARLY no fan of Peter Martins, although she doesn't mention him by name. But she mentions how former Balanchine dancers had been shut out of teaching and coaching at NYCB (which was true during the Martins era and has only now been remedied, but more's the pity that it's too late for the knowledge to have been passed into the company by Maria, Violette Verdy, and SO many others), and she is very clear that that is a huge loss and that the ballets are suffering as a result.
On the whole, I'm glad I read this. I think to a person who isn't SUPER interested in ballet, it might be a bit dry and draggy. But I admire her all the more even if she came off as a bit overly fond of her own press.
March 13, 2013
Maria Tallchief is the godmother of American ballet and I love how sane, centered and self-effacing she comes off in her interviews and in her memoir. Interesting facts: Tallchief had perfect pitch and crazy timing in her dancing because she could hear music in a way no one else could. She married Balanchine in her early twenties and her family gave him a turquoise and silver bracelet he wore every day until he died because he loved America! Tallchief was also the first of Balanchine's age-inappropriate wives/loves, and generous about the younger and younger dancers who came after her. She married three times, performed for decades and mentored like crazy (e.g. she took Suzanne Farrell's husband into her company after Balanchine fired him for marrying Suzanne). Best in Tallchief-ology is a story from Allegra Kent (coming up next!) wherein Kent is blubbering about her awful husband and runs into Tallchief in a taxi. Tallchief sternly tells her that husbands come and go but her dancing is what actually matters.
January 29, 2018
Very interesting. I have always loved ballet and discovering this novel was so satisfying. I learned about Maria Tallchief while reading Killers of the Flower Moon about the Osage Indian murders in the 1920s. Maria's father was an Osage Indian and she was married to George Balanchine. I also learned that George Balanchine died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob!!!
August 1, 2024
Talk about a woman who has lived through so many massive historical moments. I miss ballet 🩰
September 13, 2012
This is the biography of Maria Tallchief, who was a Ballerina. The book is very well-written and I loved reading about Maria's passion for dancing, how she thought she could never give it up. It's a passion I understand, it is the same passion I have for writing.
Her relationship with George Balanchine was interesting to read about. I can't say whether they were in love with each other, but they cared about each other deeply and had great respect for each other. You can tell this by the way Maria talked about him in the book.
I liked reading about all the dances and the places she went. Maria had quite an amazing career and I liked reading about her life. I thought the biography was very detailed; it gives you a very good look into the life of the Prima Ballerina, Maria Tallchief. I'd recommend it.
Her relationship with George Balanchine was interesting to read about. I can't say whether they were in love with each other, but they cared about each other deeply and had great respect for each other. You can tell this by the way Maria talked about him in the book.
I liked reading about all the dances and the places she went. Maria had quite an amazing career and I liked reading about her life. I thought the biography was very detailed; it gives you a very good look into the life of the Prima Ballerina, Maria Tallchief. I'd recommend it.
July 20, 2011
I couldn't envision a job more glamourous than a prima ballerina. Period. So I was excited to see this book at my local library. It's not that I don't like the writer, but she was bland. All the artistry must have been left on the dance floor. This was the most undetailed, plain, unemotional book I've ever read. It's focuses so much on G. B. that you could almost call it a book about him. Sad the magnificent beauty that played such fierce, emotional characters would be so lifeless in retelling her life. Shame.
February 22, 2016
Really hard to put down. Learned a lot both about an amazing era in ballet and also about being an Osage Indian. She is/was simultaneously really naive, and yet incredibly sophisticated--like how she knew Balanchine was only going to stay married to her for a few years while she was young and gifted and beautiful, until he found his next muse. And she accepted it and was completely fine with it. I can't tell if it's a product of the times, or just of being in show business from a very, very young age.
April 30, 2020
This autobiography didn't have much depth to it. I would have liked to have learned more from Tallchief about her childhood in Oklahoma growing up part Native American and part European. What was it like to be a minority in the world of ballet? Her marriage to George Balanchine seemed idealistic, and I felt the truth of their union, and his personality, wasn't being told. I found her description of her friendship with Rudolf Nureyev the only 'real' reveal in this book.
March 31, 2015
A fun read that takes you into the ballet world during the great American ballet movement. I didn't find this quite as riveting as Gelsey Kirkland's memoir. Ms. Tallchief never quite lets the reader see the real her. Nonetheless, a fun read if you're interested in mid-20th c. development of ballet in this country.
July 27, 2022
A quite discontinuous book. Maria Tallchief's story is inspiring and incredible, and yet it seems to be focussing much more on other people's lives - George Balanchine's specifically - than her own.
Some of the passages are only lists of places and shows where I think the story would have benefitted from a clearer and more in depth portrait of places and times. She lived through most of the XX century, and yet nothing of what happened seems to be able to show through her writing.
I am not an expert on ballet, and certainly the confusion I felt reading many names almost never introduced to a more generic audience might be caused by it, but when I read a memoir I expect a journey into the emotional life of a person. Most of this book is made of events that are easy to find elsewhere. It often lacks personal perspective becoming a simple narration of facts.
It's well written and easy to read, but it did not allow me to encounter Maria Tallchief as I was expecting. The form of memoir has to differ from any other journalistic or biographical pursue, otherwise is not a memoir, it's just a recollection, and although I am aware that this book was written before Wikipedia and Google, I am still saddened by the fact that I wasn't allowed into Tallchief's vivacious and bright inner world.
The few times that she let us in were immensely worth it, that's why I sort of mourn the missed chance to get to know her better.
Some of the passages are only lists of places and shows where I think the story would have benefitted from a clearer and more in depth portrait of places and times. She lived through most of the XX century, and yet nothing of what happened seems to be able to show through her writing.
I am not an expert on ballet, and certainly the confusion I felt reading many names almost never introduced to a more generic audience might be caused by it, but when I read a memoir I expect a journey into the emotional life of a person. Most of this book is made of events that are easy to find elsewhere. It often lacks personal perspective becoming a simple narration of facts.
It's well written and easy to read, but it did not allow me to encounter Maria Tallchief as I was expecting. The form of memoir has to differ from any other journalistic or biographical pursue, otherwise is not a memoir, it's just a recollection, and although I am aware that this book was written before Wikipedia and Google, I am still saddened by the fact that I wasn't allowed into Tallchief's vivacious and bright inner world.
The few times that she let us in were immensely worth it, that's why I sort of mourn the missed chance to get to know her better.
March 25, 2023
Maria Tallchief was considered the first prima ballerina from America, performing with George Balanchine mostly in the 40s and 50s. Interestingly, she was also Native American, part of the Osage tribe, and the fact that diversity has been something that always existed counter to the narrative that progress is recent is what interested me in her autobiography. That being said, identity was thankfully not a focus of the book. In her own words: “above all, I wanted to be appreciated as a prima ballerina who happened to be a Native American, never as someone who was an American Indian ballerina,” a nuance that has probably become harder and harder to grasp with time.
Tallchief’s prose is simple, and the book’s strengths lie in its content rather than craft as an autobiography. It’s extremely readable, and I’m surprised no one has made an Oscar-bait biopic adaptation as of yet! But while some of the most macabre and disturbing details delighted me, (my favorite being an anecdote about coworker Olga Spessivtseva “eating real bird’s nests she’d somehow find for breakfast every day,”) much of the book was about the political side of ballet as an art. The myriad of Balanchine choreographies she danced got confusing until I started listening to selections from the score as I read, and found a lot of cool music that way!
Tallchief’s prose is simple, and the book’s strengths lie in its content rather than craft as an autobiography. It’s extremely readable, and I’m surprised no one has made an Oscar-bait biopic adaptation as of yet! But while some of the most macabre and disturbing details delighted me, (my favorite being an anecdote about coworker Olga Spessivtseva “eating real bird’s nests she’d somehow find for breakfast every day,”) much of the book was about the political side of ballet as an art. The myriad of Balanchine choreographies she danced got confusing until I started listening to selections from the score as I read, and found a lot of cool music that way!
January 29, 2022
I read this book because I was interested in her Native American background (Osage), after reading Killers of the Flower Moon. I was definitely disappointed that she spent so little time talking about her background and also what, if any challenges, she had as the first Native American legendary ballerina. She did not speak to what it was like, particularly in the time she was performing, to be an Osage Indian in a field that was almost exclusively white. What was also very surprising was how much of this book was devoted to George Balanchine, the incredible choreographer and, at one time, her husband. While the book does focus on her development as a ballerina, she attributes much of her success to the choreography that he did specifically for her in so many ballets. So, while the book wasn't what I was expecting, I definitely found it interesting to read of her unique relationship with Balanchine, his amazing talent, other ballet dancers, and the craft and dedication it takes to be a ballet dancer. I also came to have a much better understanding in the role of the choreographer in general and Balanchine's brilliance in particular.
November 28, 2021
Since I've been on a reading jag of Balanchine ballerinas and loved Allegra Kent and Suzanne Farrell's autobiographies (Ms. Farrell, like Maria Tallchief enlisted the help of a co-writer)--I wanted to get the story from the beginning. Maria Tallchief came before them.
Like the others two Maria is incredibly hard-working, driven, talented and she also, to me, seems of a slightly different era, more old-school, so this, her autobiography reads a bit differently.
It's good for filling in bits and pieces, especially about Tanaquil Le Clerq, about a younger Balanchine, about Margot Fonteyn and Nureyev, but I didn't get as much feel for who Maria Tallchief really was except for very talented and hard-working and perhaps one of the most musical of the ballerinas as she had perfect pitch and played the piano very well. I sort of got lost in her lifestyle and all the famous people she knew, rather than with Allegra and Suzanne's tales, where I got caught up in their thoughts and decisions much more.
Like the others two Maria is incredibly hard-working, driven, talented and she also, to me, seems of a slightly different era, more old-school, so this, her autobiography reads a bit differently.
It's good for filling in bits and pieces, especially about Tanaquil Le Clerq, about a younger Balanchine, about Margot Fonteyn and Nureyev, but I didn't get as much feel for who Maria Tallchief really was except for very talented and hard-working and perhaps one of the most musical of the ballerinas as she had perfect pitch and played the piano very well. I sort of got lost in her lifestyle and all the famous people she knew, rather than with Allegra and Suzanne's tales, where I got caught up in their thoughts and decisions much more.
May 20, 2024
3.5 stars
I couldn’t stop reading this book. It’s my favorite kind of biography: the story of an artist’s career as they remember it. I like it because even though they’re not written dramatically (maybe because of that), they show that genius is mostly just the result of really hard work. There are moments of transcendence in Maria Tallchief’s descriptions of ballet choreography but there is far far more discussion about the workaday nature of perfecting an art. And that’s so inspiring to me. I looked up some footage of Tallchief dancing (there’s not much since she was active largely in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s) and she’s stunning.
I couldn’t stop reading this book. It’s my favorite kind of biography: the story of an artist’s career as they remember it. I like it because even though they’re not written dramatically (maybe because of that), they show that genius is mostly just the result of really hard work. There are moments of transcendence in Maria Tallchief’s descriptions of ballet choreography but there is far far more discussion about the workaday nature of perfecting an art. And that’s so inspiring to me. I looked up some footage of Tallchief dancing (there’s not much since she was active largely in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s) and she’s stunning.
February 22, 2021
I really enjoyed this biography. I have been interested in the ballet since I was little. I watched the Nutcracker so many times as a kid. Since then I have tried to catch any ballet I could on the television. I first heard of Maria Tallchief on the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast. So I went looking for a book about her and found one that she had written. Mrs. Tallchief does a really good job of giving her life story in a very engaging way. I loved getting to read about how she became America's first prima ballerina. She lead a very interesting life was a delight to read about.
March 22, 2022
I learned so much about Maria Tallchief’s life, being a member of the Osage Indian Tribe, her childhood, her ballet career and Balanchine. I found her various experiences both stateside and abroad very fascinating and also entertaining. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about ballet in the mid 1900s and the origins of American Ballet
February 19, 2025
Maria Tallchief is credited with having raised the level of respect for American ballet. Her autobiography is not only an overview of her career, but also a reflection on her Osage heritage, a complicated romantic life, and a tell all about American and European dancers. It is throughly enjoyable. After reading, read Tallchief, a slim volume of poetry by her daughter, Elise Paschen.
October 11, 2021
First person narrative brought the life of a Prima Ballerina to life beyond just her stage presence. Her personal growth was fascinating to learn as she faced decisions on love for art and real emotional love.
May 3, 2022
A comprehensive autobiography that documents the choreography, music, dancers, masters and financiers that launched ballet in America and set the New York City Ballet as the star of American ballet companies.
July 25, 2022
It was an interesting book. I had the feeling I was reading about the ballerina at a distance. Maybe she finds words more difficult than expressing herself in dance? There she seemed to be at home and eloquent. I learned a lot more about choreography than I did about the woman.
October 24, 2025
Such a pleasure to read her story from her perspective. Her life is reminiscent of the time she inhabited. As she led her life, I was intrigued to learn about the world travels she took and the diplomacy that ballet brought. The political turmoil in Russia was ever present in the ballet world.
July 6, 2019
This was an interesting book, though with very little insight into the heart of the author. I was glad to finish it. She didn't leave me feeling much admiration.
August 6, 2019
thoroughly enjoyed this. written well, maria was very open with her emotions, feelings, and development as a person and dancer, very inspiring for me to read!
January 2, 2021
Last book finished in 2020. Very chatty writing style
January 15, 2021
4.5 stars
I loved it from start to finish.
I loved it from start to finish.
February 21, 2024
So interesting. Fun hear about ballet from such an elegant ballerina.
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July 14, 20242024 Reading Road-trip - Oklahoma
September 14, 2025
Got to chapter ten, about a third of the way through, before deciding not to bother with the rest.
It’s not that this book is necessarily bad, it’s that it’s barely about Maria Tallchief despite being written about and by her. It’s all Balanchine, Balanchine, Balanchine. And I get it, he’s a huge deal in ballet and a big part of her life. But I wanted to know more about Maria and especially about how her identity as a Native American influenced her career as a prima ballerina and this book really doesn’t cover that much at all. The writing is pretty mediocre too so I’m not going to bother finishing this book.
It’s not that this book is necessarily bad, it’s that it’s barely about Maria Tallchief despite being written about and by her. It’s all Balanchine, Balanchine, Balanchine. And I get it, he’s a huge deal in ballet and a big part of her life. But I wanted to know more about Maria and especially about how her identity as a Native American influenced her career as a prima ballerina and this book really doesn’t cover that much at all. The writing is pretty mediocre too so I’m not going to bother finishing this book.
July 7, 2024
I love Maria Tallchief. I do not love George Balanchine. Given what I already knew about dance history, I should not have been surprised with the amount that Tallchief talks about Balanchine in this book. (Any many who equates himself to John Smith and his wife to Pocahontas is a walking red flag.)
That disappointment aside, I enjoyed getting to learn more about Maria’s life and her perspective on dance. She’s not the best writer, but she clearly depicts her life story in a way that is direct and digestible for all readers, dancer or not.
That disappointment aside, I enjoyed getting to learn more about Maria’s life and her perspective on dance. She’s not the best writer, but she clearly depicts her life story in a way that is direct and digestible for all readers, dancer or not.
February 16, 2025
#readICT: by an indigenous author
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews