Yvonne Chouteau facts for kids

Yvonne Chouteau (born Myra Yvonne Chouteau on March 7, 1929 – died January 24, 2016) was a famous American ballet dancer. She was one of the "Five Moons" of Oklahoma. This name was given to five Native American women from Oklahoma who became very important ballet dancers.

Yvonne was the only child of Corbett Edward and Lucy Annette Chouteau. She was born in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1943, she made history by becoming the youngest dancer ever accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She danced with them for 14 years.

Later, in 1962, she and her husband, Miguel Terekhov, started something amazing. They created the first fully recognized university dance program in the United States. This was the School of Dance at the University of Oklahoma. Yvonne was a member of the Shawnee Tribe. She also had French family roots. She grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma.

Yvonne's Ballet Journey

Yvonne Chouteau was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 7, 1929. Her father, Corbett Chouteau, worked for an oil company. Her mother, Lucy Annette, was a schoolteacher.

When Yvonne was just four years old, she saw the famous ballerina Alexandra Danilova dance. This happened in Oklahoma City. Yvonne was so inspired that she decided she wanted to dance too!

She studied at the School of American Ballet in New York. In 1943, Danilova suggested Yvonne to Serge Denham for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Yvonne was only 14 years old. She was the youngest dancer ever to join this famous ballet company.

Her first solo dance was as Prayer in the ballet Coppelia in 1945. When she was 18, she became the youngest person to be included in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. This was a big honor for her.

Life and Work in Oklahoma

In 1956, Yvonne Chouteau married fellow dancer Miguel Terekhov. After they had their first child, they moved to Oklahoma City. Together, they helped create the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet. Today, this is known as the Oklahoma City Ballet.

In 1962, Yvonne and Miguel did something truly special. They started the first fully recognized dance department in the United States. This was at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. This program helped many young dancers follow their dreams.

Yvonne was also featured in a film called Ballets Russes. This was a documentary film that came out in 2005. It showed her amazing career and the history of the Ballet Russe.

Yvonne Chouteau passed away on January 24, 2016, after a long illness. During her career, she worked with many famous choreographers. These included George Balanchine, Leonide Massine, and Agnes de Mille.

Honors and Lasting Impact

Yvonne Chouteau received many honors for her contributions to dance. On October 8, 1997, Governor Frank Keating named her an Oklahoma Treasure. This showed how much she meant to her home state.

You can see Yvonne in two special artworks:

• In the Oklahoma Capitol Rotunda, there is a large painting called Flight of Spirit. It was created by Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen. Yvonne is shown in this mural.
• On the lawn of the Tulsa Historical Society, there are bronze sculptures called The Five Moons. These sculptures, made by artist Gary Henson, honor Yvonne and the other four Native American ballerinas.

In 2004, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian opened in Washington D.C.. Yvonne Chouteau was given the first-ever National Cultural Treasures Award. This award celebrated her important role in the nation's cultural history. Her life and work continue to inspire dancers and artists everywhere.