Day 14 of 84 Days of 84 Ribbons: Maria Tallchief
In 84 Ribbons I use a photo of Maria Tallchief to connect Marta to Harry, the janitor at the end of the book. I selected her because I admire her career and tenacity. As one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the past 1oo years, Maria was considered daring, brilliant and possessing great musicality (the ability to interpret the music through her movements). She was the daughter of an Osage Native American and a Scotch-Irish mother who began dancing before she was ten. Balanchine’s style attracted her. She reported to have said that it made her feel like a musician:...