Yvonne Chouteau

March 7, 1929 – January 24, 2016

Yvonne Chouteau, of Shawnee and Cherokee heritage, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1929 and raised in Vinita, Oklahoma. She made her debut with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo at the young age of 14 years old and danced with the company for 14 years. In 1960, Chouteau became an artist in residence at the University of Oklahoma and established the Department of Dance, now known as the OU School of Dance, with her husband, Miguel Terekhov. She also founded Oklahoma City Civic Ballet, now known as Oklahoma City Ballet, in 1963.

Maria Tallchief

January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013

Maria Tallchief was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, about 5 miles away from one of the Osage Nation’s three cultural districts. She danced with the renowned Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo company in the 1940s. Tallchief is widely considered to be America's first prima ballerina. She was a principal dancer with George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet, where he created several title roles for her. Tallchief co-founded the Chicago City Ballet with her sister, Marjorie, in 1980. In Oklahoma, June 29 is known as “Maria Tallchief Day.”

Marjorie Tallchief

October 19, 1926 – Present

Marjorie Tallchief, Maria Tallchief’s sister, was born in Denver, Colorado, and spent her early childhood in Fairfax, Oklahoma. She danced with with various companies, including Ballet Theatre (now known as American Ballet Theatre), the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and the Harkness Ballet. Tallchief was the first Native American dancer to become a première danseuse étoile at the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet. She served as the director of dance at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, from 1989 to 1993. The University of Oklahoma in Norman presented Tallchief with a distinguished service award in 1992.

Rosella Hightower

January 10, 1920 – November 4, 2008

Rosella Hightower was born in Durwood, Oklahoma, and was a member of the Choctaw Nation. She danced with several influential companies throughout the 1940s and 50s, including the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ballet Theatre, René Blum’s Original Ballet Russe, and Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas. Hightower founded the Center for Classical Dance, in Cannes, France, in 1962, and in 1981, she became the first American director of the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet. 

Moscelyne Larkin 

January 14, 1925 – April 25, 2012

Moscelyne Larkin was born in Miami, Oklahoma, and was a member of the Shawnee-Peoria tribe. She danced with the renowned Original Ballet Russe and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo companies. She and her husband, Roman Jasinski, founded the Tulsa Ballet in 1956. She organized the first Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival in 1957, in which four of the Five Moons performed to honor their heritage.