Maria Tallchief

Ranked 6th in the list of the best American dancers is Elizabeth Marie Tallchief. He was an American ballerina (Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa; January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013). She was regarded as the country's first prominent prima ballerina. She is credited with revolutionizing ballet as the first Native American (Osage Nation) to hold the position. Tallchief has been involved in dancing almost since birth, beginning official classes at the age of three. Her family moved from Fairfax, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles, California, when she was eight years old. The move was made to help Maria and her younger sister, Marjorie, boost their careers. Both sisters went on to become professional dancers and significant characters in the industry.

She traveled to New York City at the age of 17 in quest of a job with a prominent ballet company, and chose the name Maria Tallchief on the advice of others. She went on to work for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo for the next five years, when she met choreographer George Balanchine. Tallchief was the company's first star when Balanchine co-founded what would become the New York City Ballet in 1946. The ballet was altered by the combination of Balanchine's demanding choreography and Tallchief's impassioned dance. Tallchief rose to the top of the ballet industry with her portrayal in The Firebird in 1949, establishing her as a prima ballerina. Her portrayal of the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker catapulted the ballet from obscurity to prominence in the United States.

She toured the globe and was the first American to perform at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. Before retiring in 1966, she made regular appearances on American television. Tallchief was involved in promoting ballet in Chicago after retiring from dance. For the most of the 1970s, she was the director of ballet at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and in 1981, she founded the Chicago City Ballet. The people of Oklahoma honored Tallchief with a number of sculptures and a commemorative day. She was honored with a National Medal of Arts and was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Tallchief was honored with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1996 for his lifetime achievements. Several films and biographies have been made on her life.

• Born: January 24, 1925Fairfax, Oklahoma, U.S.
• Died: April 11, 2013 (aged 88)Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
• Known for: Prima ballerina