Five Moons facts for kids
The Five Moons were five amazing Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma. They became famous all over the world in the 20th century. These five talented women were Myra Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower, Moscelyne Larkin, and sisters Maria Tallchief and Marjorie Tallchief.
They were incredibly successful in the dance world. Because of them, there are many artworks and tributes in Oklahoma. The most famous tribute is the Five Moons sculpture from 2007 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It shows all five ballerinas in bronze. Other tributes include the Flight of Spirit mural at the Oklahoma State Capitol and special dance festivals. These five women showed everyone that Native American women could be amazing ballet dancers, breaking down old ideas in the ballet world.
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The Ballerinas
Myra Yvonne Chouteau
Yvonne Chouteau (Shawnee Tribe, 1929–2016) was born in Texas. She grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma. Her family was one of the oldest pioneering families in Oklahoma.
In 1943, when she was just 14, Yvonne joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She was one of the youngest dancers ever to join a professional company. She worked with famous choreographers like George Balanchine. Some of her most well-known roles were in Gaite Parisienne, Giselle, and The Nutcracker.
In 1960, Yvonne and her husband, Miguel Terekhov, became artists at the University of Oklahoma. In 1963, they started the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet. Today, this is known as the Oklahoma City Ballet.
Yvonne achieved a lot in her career. In 1947, she was put into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at age 18. She was the youngest person ever to receive this honor.
Rosella Hightower
Rosella Hightower (Choctaw Nation, 1920–2008) was born in Durwood, Oklahoma. When she was five, her family moved to Kansas City, Kansas.
Rosella started dancing at age 13. She later moved to New York to continue her studies. She began her professional career in 1938. She danced with several famous companies, including Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and American Ballet Theatre.
In 1962, she started the Center for Classical Dance in Cannes, France. She also directed two other ballet companies in France. In 1981, Rosella became the first American director of the Ballet of Paris Opera. She was known as the "aristocrat of ballet dancing." She passed away in 2008 in France.
Because of her successful career in France, Rosella received France's highest honor. It was called the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1975.
Moscelyne Larkin
Moscelyne Larkin (Peoria/Eastern Shawnee/Russian, 1925–2012) was born in Miami, Oklahoma. Her mother was a dancer and trained Moscelyne until she was a teenager.
At age 15, Moscelyne joined the Original Ballet Russe. She was also one of the youngest dancers to join a professional company. She toured with them across Europe and the Americas. Later, she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1948. She had many main roles there.
Moscelyne and her husband, Roman Jasinski, opened the Tulsa Civic Ballet and School. Today, this is known as the Tulsa Ballet Theatre. She also taught dance at the University of Tulsa. She taught American Indian children how to dance. Moscelyne stayed in Tulsa until she passed away in 2012.
Moscelyne received many honors. She was honored at the Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas Festival. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1978. She also received the Dance Magazine award in 1988.
Maria Tallchief
Maria Tallchief, also known as Betty Marie (Osage Nation, 1925–2013), was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Her family moved to Los Angeles, California, so she and her sister could get the best ballet training.
After high school, Maria moved to New York. She became an apprentice for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. In 1942, she became a full member. The company wanted her to change her last name. But she wanted to honor her Osage heritage. So, she changed her first name to Maria instead.
Maria had leading roles in ballets like Orpheus, The Firebird, and The Nutcracker. Her role as The Firebird made her a prima ballerina, which is a top female dancer. In 1954, a tour with Ballet Russe made her the highest-paid prima ballerina of that time. She retired from dancing in 1966. She then directed the Lyric Opera Ballet in Chicago. She also directed the Chicago City Ballet. She stayed in Chicago until she passed away in 2013.
Maria was known as Oklahoma's "Firebird." In 1953, the Oklahoma Legislature declared June 29 as Maria Tallchief Day. The Osage tribe gave her the name Princess Wa-Xthe-Thonba. This means “Woman of Two Standards." She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1996.
Marjorie Tallchief
Marjorie Tallchief (Osage Nation, 1926–2021) was born in Denver, Colorado. She grew up in Fairfax, Oklahoma. She and her sister, Maria, moved with their family to California to train in ballet.
Marjorie danced with many companies. These included the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas. Her most famous roles were in Night Shadow, Romeo and Juliet, and Giselle. She was the first American Indian to become a premiere danseuse etoile at the Paris Opera. This is a very high honor for a ballerina.
Marjorie's classical and modern roles made her one of the most flexible ballet dancers of the 20th century. She performed for many important leaders. These included John F. Kennedy and Charles de Gaulle. She also directed several ballet companies and schools.
Marjorie received many awards. In 1991, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. The University of Oklahoma gave her a special service award in 1992.
Artistic Tributes
The ballerinas' great importance inspired other forms of art. A ballet called The Four Moons was created for the Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival in 1967. This ballet had music by Louis Ballard, a Quapaw-Cherokee composer. It had four solos that showed each dancer’s tribal background. The Osage solo was for both Tallchief sisters. This is why it was called The Four Moons instead of five.
Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen painted a mural of the Five Moons. It is called Flight of Spirit. This mural hangs in the Oklahoma State Capitol Rotunda in Oklahoma City.
Sculpture
The Five Moons sculpture was shown at the Tulsa Historical Society in November 2007. The sculptures show each woman in a costume and pose from one of her famous roles.
Artist Monte England started the project in 1995. He was inspired by Mike Larsen's mural. England wanted to create a bronze tribute to the ballerinas in his hometown of Tulsa. The Tulsa Historical Society and the Tulsa Ballet helped with the project. They made sure the details were correct.
Sadly, England passed away in 2005. He had only finished two of the full-sized sculptures. His friend, Gary Henson, was asked to finish the project. Henson completed the remaining sculptures in his own style.
On April 30, 2022, the statue of Marjorie Tallchief was reported missing from the Tulsa Historical Society. A few days later, it was found in pieces at a metal recycling place. People started a fundraiser to help fix the statue.
