| Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina (cont.)
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| America, Maria's dedication to her craft led to the company's first great success, 1949's "The Firebird." The foremost exponent of Balanchine's choreography, Tallchief's other important roles included Orpheus, Scotch Symphony, Caracole, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. |
| Tallchief's dignified autobiography provides us with many stories and insights that shed light on both this crucial moment in dance history and Balanchine's elusive personality. She is reserved about their personal relationship but candid about the increasing favor Balanchine showed to younger dancers, which led to the annulment of her marriage, and her departure from NYCB in 1966. |
| Assisted by ghostwriter Larry Kaplan (who also co-authored Edward Villella's autobiography, Prodigal Son), Tallchief remains modest about her own astonishing talent, but expresses continued amazement for her former husband's brilliance. Her descriptions of working with Balanchine and Stravinsky are fascinating, while her accounts of a typical 14-hour practice day are formidable.
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| Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina is a fascinating self-portrait of the fairy-tale life of a woman who understood that talent, committed to a singular, focused purpose, could change the world. |
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