Rosella Hightower facts for kids
Rosella Hightower (born January 10, 1920 – died November 4, 2008) was a famous American ballerina. She was also a member of the Choctaw Nation. Rosella became well-known for her amazing dance skills in both the United States and Europe.
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Rosella's Early Life and Training
Rosella Hightower was born in Durwood, Oklahoma. She was the only child of Charles Edgar Hightower and Eula May Fanning. Rosella had Choctaw heritage.
Her family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. This happened after her father got a new job. He worked for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Rosella started learning to dance in Kansas City. Her first dance teacher was Dorothy Perkins.
Becoming a Professional Dancer
In 1937, a famous Russian dancer named Léonide Massine visited Kansas City. He was with the Ballets Russes company. Massine was so impressed by Rosella. He invited her to join a new ballet company. This company was forming in Monte Carlo, France.
Rosella traveled to France by herself. She found out she needed to audition more. There was no promise of a job yet. But she was finally accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Massine helped her a lot. He saw how hard she worked and how fast she learned.
She met André Eglevsky there. He would later be her dance partner. When World War II began, Rosella followed the Ballet Russe to New York City. She joined the Ballet Theater in 1941.
Rising to Stardom
In 1946, Rosella joined the de Basil Ballet. This company was then called the Original Ballet Russe. She became very famous after a performance in March 1947. This was at the Metropolitan Opera House.
The main dancer for Giselle, Alicia Markova, got sick. Rosella had to step in and dance the lead role. She had never danced this part before. She learned it in about five hours with dancer Anton Dolin.
A famous dance critic, John Martin, wrote about her. He said her performance was "a thoroughly admirable achievement." The audience gave her a huge cheer. Just three days later, Martin called her "the newest star on the ballet horizon." This was after her performances in Swan Lake.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1947, Rosella joined a new company. It was called the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas. People often called it the de Cuevas Ballet. She wanted to work with choreographer Bronislava Nijinska. Nijinska created a very difficult dance for Rosella. It was called Rondo Capriccioso.
Rosella also danced in new ballets. One was Piège de Lumière by John Taras. In this ballet, she played a butterfly. This butterfly enchanted a group of escaped prisoners.
The de Cuevas company closed in 1961. Rosella mostly stopped performing. But she did dance in 1962 with famous dancers. These included Sonia Arova, Erik Bruhn, and Rudolf Nureyev.
In 1962, she opened her own school. It was called the École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. It was near her home in Cannes, France. This school became one of the best ballet schools in Europe.
Rosella later led several big dance companies. She directed the Marseilles Ballet from 1969 to 1972. She also led the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre of Nancy from 1973 to 1974. From 1980 to 1983, she directed the Paris Opéra Ballet. She also led the La Scala Ballet in Milan from 1985 to 1986.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rosella is honored with a large bronze statue. It is called The Five Moons. This statue celebrates five Native American ballerinas. The others are Yvonne Chouteau, Moscelyne Larkin, Maria Tallchief, and Marjorie Tallchief.
Family Life
Rosella Hightower passed away at her home in Cannes, France. She died on November 4, 2008, at age 88.
She was briefly married to dancer Mischa Resnikov in 1938. In 1952, she married Jean Robier. He was a French artist. They had one daughter, Dominique Monet Robier, who was born in 1955 and also became a dancer.
See also
In Spanish: Rosella Hightower para niños
