Follow
Geni Special Collections pilot project
The Five Moons are five Native American ballerinas from the U.S. state of Oklahoma who achieved international prominence during the 20th century. They are Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower, Moscelyne Larkin, and sisters Maria Tallchief and Marjorie Tallchief. "Their remarkable accomplishments showcased American dance and talent to the world when Russian stars still dominated that scene." [1]
project goals
This project fills out the family trees of the five dancers, and identifies people who shaped their lives, or were inspired by them, including:
- their earliest known ancestors
- any common relatives
- any "notable kin"
- other notable associates (e.g., their mentors)
- artists who created tributes
- potential project partner resources
the ballet
The ballerinas inspired other forms of art. A ballet entitled The Four Moons was created for the Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival in 1967. The ballet, set to music by the Oklahoma native Louis Ballard, a Quapaw-Cherokee composer, consists of four solos that evoke each dancer’s tribal heritage. [3] The Osage solo is dedicated to both Tallchief sisters, thus explaining The Four Moons title, as opposed to five.
the mural
Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen painted a mural depicting the Five Moons, entitled Flight of Spirit. The mural hangs in the Oklahoma State Capitol Rotunda in Oklahoma City.
the sculpture
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Moons#Sculpture
The Five Moons sculpture was unveiled at the Tulsa Historical Society in November 2007. The sculptures present each of the women in a costume and pose representative of one of their signature roles. The project was begun in 1995 by artist Monte England. England, inspired by Mike Larsen's mural, desired to create a tribute in bronze to the ballerinas in his hometown of Tulsa. Sponsorship of the project was provided by Tulsa Historical Society and the Tulsa Ballet, whose representative monitored the project to help England ensure that details such as hand position and dress were accurate. In 2005, however, England died, having completed only two of the full-sized sculptures. England's long-time friend and fellow sculptor Gary Henson was asked to complete the project. Henson was provided license by the Ballet and Historical Society to complete the remaining sculptures in his own style, which differed slightly from that of England.
project instructions
- Please add profiles to project of the dancers, their spouses, and "also" profiles listed in the "project goals" section
- Please ensure profiles have genealogical source data cited and / or attached as documents
- Please add links to the "resources" section, compiling these resources are invaluable for further research & for archiving purposes
profile index
The ballerinas (Listed alphabetically)
- Yvonne Chouteau (1929-2016), grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma and is a member of the Shawnee and Cherokee Tribe. At age 14, she became the youngest dancer to be accepted by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She and her husband Miguel Terekhov founded the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet, now known as Oklahoma City Ballet.
- Rosella Hightower (1920-2008), a Choctaw, was born in Durwood, Oklahoma. She studied ballet in Kansas City, Kansas and New York. Hightower first danced for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and several other companies. She founded the Center for Classical Dance in Cannes, France and was the director of the Marseilles Opera Ballet, the Ballet de Nancy, and the Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris. In 1975, she garnered France's premier honor, the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur.
- Moscelyne Larkin (1925-2012) was born in Miami, Oklahoma. She is of Peoria, Shawnee, and Russian heritage. Her mother personally trained her in ballet until she moved to New York to continue her studies. Larkin joined the Original Ballet Russe at age 15, and later danced for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband Roman Jansinsky, where they founded the Tulsa Ballet Theatre.
- Maria Tallchief (1925-2013) was Osage and was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Her family moved to Los Angeles, California to give her and her sister the best ballet training. She joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and later the New York City Ballet. She married its director and choreographer George Balanchine, who created ballets for her.
- Marjorie Tallchief (born 1926) is Maria's sister and is also Osage. She grew up in Fairfax, Oklahoma. She became the first Native American premiere danseuse étoile in the Paris Opéra. Tallchief danced in a number of ballet companies and was director of dance at the school of the Dallas Civic Ballet (later renamed the Dallas Ballet) Dallas; the City Ballet of Chicago; and the Harid Conservatory of Boca Raton, Florida.
Their world (Listed chronologically; please include the relationship to a ballerina)
- Edward Larkin, of Rhode Island (Moscelyne's immigrant ancestor)
- Pierre Laclède de Liguest (a founder of St. Louis, Missouri; Yvonne's fourth great grandfather)
- Marie-Therèse Chouteau (Chouteau family matriarch; Yvonne's fourth great grandmother)
- Charles Carlos Auguste de Hault de Lassus (last lieutenant governor of Upper Louisiana; Yvonne's great niece's husband's second cousin thrice removed)
- Peter Cassidy Bigheart (USA) (Osage Principal Chief; scout for the Union Army; Maria's great grandfather)
- George Balanchine (choreographer; Maria's ex husband)
- Katherine Dunham (dancer; Yvonne's great aunt's ex-husband's great uncle's wife's uncle's wife's niece's husband's second cousin five times removed's wife.)
- Jorge Cuevas Bartholin "Marqués de Cuevas" (Chilean-born patron of the arts, employed Rosella Hightower in 1947 in his dance company "de Cuevas Balle")
- Cumy Averine Hightower (Rosella Hightower is Cumy Averine Hightower's granddaughter)
- Sarah Alban Enoch (Rosella's great-grandmother- mother of Cumy)
- Charles Edgar Hightower (Rosella's father)
- Eula May Hightower (Rosella's mother)
- Charles Elijah Hightower (Rosella's grandfather)
- William Canova Hightower (Rosella's great-grandfather Hightower)
- Kerrenhappuch Hightower (Rosella's great-grandmother)
- Mischa Resnikov (dancer; Rosella's ex husband)
- Jean Robier (Rosella's husband)
- Roman Jasinski (dancer; Moscelyne's husband)
- Elmourza "Elmo" Natirboff (Maria's ex-husband)
- Henry D. Paschen Jr. (Maria's husband)
- John Francis Alexander Sanford (frontiersman; Yvonne's first cousin thrice removed; he owned Dred Scott, famous slave & died in a NYC insane asylum)
- Brien McMahon, U.S. Senator (senator; Maria's daughter's husband's second cousin's husband)
- George Skibine (dancer; Marjorie's husband)
- Miguel Terekhov (dancer; Yvonne's husband)
- Mike Larsen (artist; painted "Flight of Fancy," modeled by the ballerians)
- Elise Paschen (poet; Maria's daughter)
resources
Historic events, listed chronologically
- "100 People Who Shaped St. Louis - The Chouteau Dynasty." Who they were: “The royal family of the wilderness”: the crown prince, Auguste Chouteau, who built St. Louis’ first buildings at the age of 14; queen, Mme. Marie Therese Bourgeois Chouteau, wife (OK, not legally) of Pierre Laclede; the other prince, Pierre, who was sent to live with the Osage at age 17 and eventually became President Thomas Jefferson’s Agent of Indian Affairs. What they did: After that first scouting trip, Auguste was told to go back and build some cabins while stepfather Pierre Laclede kept warm at the Fort de Chartres fort. Eventually Mme. Chouteau arrived, started St. Louis society and married her daughters to young men of substance who expanded the family’s sphere of influence. When the Baron de Carondelet, Spanish governor of the territory, threatened to slaughter the Osage, the Chouteaus calmed him (the Osage were the fur trade’s middlemen) and said, “Let us handle it.” Why it mattered: The family consolidated the city’s economy and reigned long and well, ending British, Spanish and American spitball fights with charm and wiles.
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture
- Guide to the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Press Clipping Scrapbooks
- Guide to the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo records, 1935-1968
- Tulsa Ballet "The story of Tulsa Ballet began in 1956. Husband and wife Roman Jasinski and Moscelyne Larkin, and musician Rosalie Talbott, founded Tulsa Ballet Theatre, blending classical dance with dramatic theatre. Internationally known dancers in the Ballet Russe tradition, Jasinski and Larkin set the tone for artistic excellence – a foundation that has been preserved and built upon for decades. ..."
- "Esprit de corps" Tulsa Ballet has roots in Russia but has evolved to produce its own brand of dance. By Jane Zemel. TulsaPeople, March 2012
- Rosella Hightower danced with the Jorge Cuevas Bartholin "Marquis de Cueves" company called "de Cueves Balle" for 15 years from 1947-1961 article reference from DO40
- "Five Moons"
- Vintage Garden & Five Moons: The Tulsa Historical Society [2]
- Flight of Spirit by Mike Larsen. Oil painting, Commissioned by the Oklahoma State Legislature. Dimensions: 132 x 264. Dedicated November 17, 1991. Location: Fifth Floor.
- Mke Larsen: Oklahoman of the Year Oklahoma Today, Jan-Feb 2007, Vol 57, No. 1. "The dedication ceremony in 1991 of "Flight of Spirit" brought all five ballerinas together for the first time ..."
- Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame - Mike Larsen
- Maria TallChief Memorial and Study Guide
- http://ndepth.newsok.com/five-indian-ballerinas
footnotes
- 1. Obituaries: Prominent Ballet Dancer Rosella Hightower By Nora Boustany Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, November 8, 2008
- 2. The Five Moons are a gift of Charles and Peggy Stephenson and Billie and Howard Barnett.
- 3. DANCE: TULSA SALUTES FIVE INDIAN BALLERINAS By JENNIFER DUNNING, Special to the New York Times Published: November 15, 1982. The Shawnee solo, created for Miss Larkin by Mr. Jasinski, her husband, was all quick turns and little jumps. Choreographed by Miss Hightower for herself, the Choctaw solo was full of small, almost flirtatious detail. The Osage solo, created for Marjorie Tallchief by her husband, George Skibine, was slower and more dignified, a sustained flow of big arabesques, extensions, poses on point and steely turns. And the Cherokee solo for Miss Chouteau, choreographed by her husband, Miguel Terekhov, brought a note of reflective sadness to the pas de quatre, with lyrical arms, little, running jumps and a fluttering of the hands that suggested the blinking out of tears."
this project is in HistoryLink
Page contact: Erica Howton