75 years ago, Maria Tallchief made the ballet world reimagine itself and find a place for a Native American prima ballerina

"To be a prima ballerina is to be recognized for one's superior technique, artistry and stage presence. Tallchief's electrifying appearance as the Firebird reflected her mastery of these elements."

"During the 1940s-1960s, most Americans assumed that Indigenous people could not participate in modern life. Artists like Tallchief rejected those stereotypes in vivid motion."

Read at The Conversation