Misplaced Pages

#760239

74-811: Yvonne Chouteau ( Shawnee Tribe , 1929–2016), born in Fort Worth, Texas but grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma . Her tribe, the Shawnee Tribe , was part of the Cherokee Nation but is now independent. She was an only child to her parents Col. Corbett Edward and Lucy Arnett Chouteau. Their family is a part of the oldest pioneering family in Oklahoma. Yvonne is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Maj. Jean Pierre Chouteau , who established Oklahoma's oldest white settlement in present-day Salina. In 1956, Chouteau married Miguel Terekhov, who

148-610: A couple on tour all throughout WWII. They have one son, Roman Larkin Jasinski, and shortly after his birth, they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma . With training from her mother and well known choreographers in New York, Larkin joined the Original Ballet Russe at age 15. She also is among the youngest dancers to join a professional company. She first joined the Original Ballet Russe as a soloist then began to tour with them around Europe and

222-775: A courtesy. American and British veterans who served in either World War on French soil, or during the 1944 campaigns to liberate France, may be eligible for appointment as Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, provided they were still living when the honour was approved. Collective appointments can be made to cities, institutions or companies. A total of 64 settlements in France have been decorated, as well as six foreign cities: Liège in 1914, Belgrade in 1920, Luxembourg City in 1957, Volgograd (the World War II 'Stalingrad') in 1984, Algiers in 2004, and London in 2020. French towns display

296-479: A façade to give political favours, gifts, and concessions. The Légion d'honneur was loosely patterned after a Roman legion , with legionaries , officers , commanders, regional " cohorts " and a grand council. The highest rank was not a Grand Cross but a Grand aigle (Grand Eagle), a rank that wore the insignia common to a Grand Cross. The members were paid, the highest of them extremely generously: Napoleon famously declared, "You call these baubles, well, it

370-543: A new system of nobility. However, the Légion d'honneur did use the organization of the old French orders of chivalry, for example, the Ordre de Saint-Louis . The insignia of the Légion d'honneur bear a resemblance to those of the Ordre de Saint-Louis , which also used a red ribbon. Napoleon originally created this award to ensure political loyalty. The organization would be used as

444-788: A prima ballerina. In a 1954 tour with Ballet Russe made her the highest paid prima ballerina of that time. In 1947, she left Ballet Russe to help her husband, Balanchine, at the Ballet Society or today known as the New York Ballet. She retired from dancing in 1966 and moved to Chicago with her husband, Pashen. There she was the director of both of Chicago's Lyric Opera Ballet from 1973 to 1979, and Chicago City Ballet from 1980 to 1987. She stayed in Chicago until she passed on April 11, 2013. Known as Oklahoma's "Firebird," Tallchief has collected several honors and awards throughout her career. She received

518-820: Is Honneur et Patrie ("Honour and Fatherland"); its seat is the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur next to the Musée d'Orsay , on the left bank of the Seine in Paris . Since 1 February 2023, the Order's grand chancellor has been retired General François Lecointre , who succeeded fellow retired General Benoît Puga in office. The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction: Chevalier ( Knight ), Officier (Officer), Commandeur ( Commander ), Grand officier (Grand Officer) and Grand-croix ( Grand Cross ). During

592-754: Is headed by the Grand Chancellor ( grand chancelier ), usually a retired general, as well as the Secretary-General ( secrétaire général ), a civilian administrator. The Grand Chancery also regulates the National Order of Merit and the médaille militaire (Military Medal). There are several structures funded by and operated under the authority of the Grand Chancery, like the Legion of Honour Schools ( Maisons d'éducation de la Légion d'honneur ) and

666-827: Is portrayed in the mural Flight of Spirit by Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen in the Oklahoma Capitol Rotunda, and in The Five Moons, a set of bronze sculptures by artist Gary Henson on the west lawn of the Tulsa Historical Society. When the Smithsonian Institution 's National Museum of the American Indian opened in Washington, D.C. , in 2004, Chouteau was honored with the inaugural National Cultural Treasures Award, celebrating her contribution to

740-412: Is with baubles that men are led... Do you think that you would be able to make men fight by reasoning? Never. That is good only for the scholar in his study. The soldier needs glory, distinctions, rewards." This has been often quoted as "It is with such baubles that men are led." Napoleon was also occasionally noted after a battle to ask who the bravest man in a regiment was, and upon the regiment declaring

814-531: Is worn by the Grand Cross (in gilt on the left chest) and the Grand Officer (in silver on the right chest) respectively; it is similar to the badge, but without enamel, and with the wreath replaced by a cluster of rays in between each arm. The central disc features the head of Marianne , surrounded by the legend République Française ('French Republic') and the motto Honneur et Patrie . The ribbon for

SECTION 10

#1732855816761

888-498: The Hôtel de Salm , headquarters of the Légion d'honneur , was burned to the ground in fierce street combats; the archives of the order were lost. In the second term of President Jules Grévy , which started in 1885, newspaper journalists brought to light the trafficking of Grévy's son-in-law, Daniel Wilson, in the awarding of decorations of the Légion d'honneur . Grévy was not accused of personal participation in this scandal, but he

962-572: The Légion , for "eminent merit" ( mérites éminents ) in military or civil life. In practice, in current usage, the order is conferred on entrepreneurs, high-level civil servants , scientists, artists, including famous actors and actresses, sport champions , and others with connections in the executive . Members of the French Parliament cannot receive the order, except for valour in war, and ministers are not allowed to nominate their accountants. Until 2008, French nationals could only enter

1036-505: The Légion d'honneur among his family and his senior ministers. This collar was abolished in 1815. Although research is made difficult by the loss of the archives, it is rumoured that three women who fought with the army were decorated with the order: Virginie Ghesquière , Marie-Jeanne Schelling and a nun , Sister Anne Biget . The Légion d'honneur was prominent and visible in the French Empire. The Emperor always wore it, and

1110-410: The Légion d'honneur . All previous orders were Christian, or shared a clear Christian background, whereas the Légion d'honneur is a secular institution. The badge of the Légion d'honneur has five arms. In a decree issued on the 10 Pluviôse XIII (30 January 1805), a grand decoration was instituted. This decoration, a cross on a large sash and a silver star with an eagle, symbol of

1184-536: The Fourth Republic in 1946 brought about the latest change in the design of the Legion of Honour. The date "1870" on the obverse was replaced by a single star. No changes were made after the establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1958. The Legion of Honour is a national order of France, meaning a public incorporated body. The Legion is regulated by a civil law code , the "Code of the Legion of Honour and of

1258-579: The French Revolution , all of the French orders of chivalry were abolished and replaced with weapons of honour . It was the wish of Napoleon Bonaparte , the First Consul , to create a reward to commend civilians and soldiers. From this wish was instituted a Légion d'honneur , a body of men that was not an order of chivalry , for Napoleon believed that France wanted a recognition of merit rather than

1332-466: The Legion of Honour Museum ( Musée de la Légion d'honneur ). The Legion of Honour Schools are élite boarding schools in Saint-Denis and Camp des Loges in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye . Study there is restricted to daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters of members of the order, the médaille militaire or the ordre national du Mérite . There are five classes in

1406-603: The University of Oklahoma . A member of the Shawnee Tribe , she also had French ancestry, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Maj. Jean Pierre Chouteau . From the Chouteau family of St. Louis , he established Oklahoma's oldest European-American settlement at the present site of Salina in 1796. She grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma . Chouteau was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 7, 1929. Her father Corbett Chouteau worked for an oil company, while her mother Lucy Annette (née Taylor)

1480-460: The 35,000 to 38,000 members. The images of Napoleon and his eagle were removed and replaced by the image of King Henry IV , the popular first king of the Bourbon line. Three Bourbon fleurs-de-lys replaced the eagle on the reverse of the order. A king's crown replaced the imperial crown. In 1816, the grand cordons were renamed grand crosses and the legionnaires became knights. The king decreed that

1554-452: The Ballet and Historical Society to complete the remaining sculptures in his own style, which differed slightly from that of England. On April 30, 2022, the Tulsa Historical Society reported the statue of Marjorie Tallchief missing. By Monday, May 2, the majority of the sculpture was found in pieces at two metal recycling facilities, having been sold for scrap for around $ 260. A GoFundMe campaign

SECTION 20

#1732855816761

1628-821: The City Ballet in Chicago, Illinois , and the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida in 1989. Tallchief received many awards and honors, including her 1991 induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and a University of Oklahoma distinguished service award in 1992. The ballerinas profound significance 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

1702-517: The Cross of a Knight of the Legion of Honour: The order has had five levels since the reign of King Louis XVIII, who restored the order in 1815. Since the reform, the following distinctions have existed: Due to the order's long history, and the remarkable fact that it has been retained by all subsequent governments and regimes since the First Empire, the order's design has undergone many changes. Although

1776-463: The French nation. The insignia were drastically altered; the cross now displayed tricolour flags . In 1847, there were 47,000 members. Yet another revolution in Paris (in 1848) brought a new republic (the second) and a new design to the Légion d'honneur . A nephew of the founder, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte , was elected president and he restored the image of his uncle on the crosses of the order. In 1852,

1850-657: The Glove Seller in Gaite Parisienne , Giselle , The Nutcracker , Les Sylphide , Pas de Quatre , and Romeo and Juliet. In 1960, she and her husband, Terekhov, became artists in residence at the University of Oklahoma . And in 1963, they created the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet, now known as Oklahoma City Ballet . Chouteau accomplished so much in her career and because of it has multiple honors and awards. In 1932–4, she led every major parade in Oklahoma. During

1924-449: The Legion of Honour at the class of Chevalier (Knight). To be promoted to a higher class, one had to perform new eminent services in the interest of France and a set number of years had to pass between appointment and promotion. This was however amended in 2008 when entry became possible at Officer, Commander and Grand Officer levels, as a recognition of "extraordinary careers" ( carrières hors du commun ). In 2009, Simone Veil became

1998-555: The Legion of Honour award for service is achieved after 20 years of meritorious service, having been awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Ordre National du Mérite . Bravery awards lessen the time needed for the award—in fact decorated servicemen become directly chevaliers of the Légion d'Honneur , skipping the Ordre du Mérite . NCOs almost never achieve that award, except for the most heavily decorated service members. Collective appointments can be made to military units. In

2072-412: The Legion of Honour: The "eminent merits" required to be awarded the order require the flawless performance of one's trade as well as doing more than ordinarily expected, such as being creative, zealous and contributing to the growth and well-being of others. The order has a maximum quota of 75 Grand Cross, 250 Grand Officers, 1,250 Commanders, 10,000 Officers, and 113,425 (ordinary) Knights. As of 2010,

2146-614: The Legion on 14 May 2017. The Grand Master appoints all other members of the order, on the advice of the French government. The Grand Master's insignia is the Grand Collar of the Legion. The President of the Republic, as Grand Master of the order, receives the Collar as part of his investiture, but the Grand Masters have not worn the Collar since Valéry Giscard d'Estaing . The Grand Chancery

2220-673: The Military Medal". While the President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the order, day-to-day running is entrusted to the Grand Chancery ( Grande Chancellerie de la Légion d'honneur ). Since the establishment of the Legion, the Grand Master of the order has always been the Emperor, King or President of France. President Emmanuel Macron therefore became the Grand Master of

2294-701: The Napoleonic Empire, became known as the Grand aigle (Grand Eagle), and later in 1814 as the Grand cordon (big sash, literally "big ribbon"). After Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804 and established the Napoleonic nobility in 1808, award of the Légion d'honneur gave right to the title of "Knight of the Empire" ( Chevalier de l'Empire ). The title was made hereditary after three generations of grantees. Napoleon had dispensed 15 golden collars of

Five Moons - Misplaced Pages Continue

2368-615: The Oklahoma native Louis Ballard , a Quapaw - Cherokee composer, consists of four solos that evoke each dancer's tribal heritage. The Osage solo is dedicated to both Tallchief sisters, thus explaining The Four Moons title, as opposed to five. 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 . One of

2442-807: The Silver Anniversary Statehood Day Parade she was named the “Daughter of Oklahoma, Good Will Ambassadress to the World at Large." In 1947, she was inducted in Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the age of 18, which is the youngest person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And in that same year was inducted into the International Who's Who. In 1963, Women in Journalism named her Outstanding Oklahoma Woman, and American Women in Radio and Television named her Woman of

2516-841: The Washington Press Women of the Year Award and the Annual Dance Magazine Award twice. Oklahoma Legislature declared June 29 as Maria Tallchief day in 1953.The Osage tribe named her Princess Wa-Xthe-Thonba which mean “Woman of Two Standards." She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1996. And she was involved in the America for Indian Opportunity and directed the Indian Council Fire Achievement Award. Marjorie Tallchief ( Osage Nation , 1926–2021)

2590-976: The Western Hemisphere. When her and her family moved back to the United States, she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1948, where she had many leading roles. And on multiple occasions she was the premier ballerina at Radio City Music Hall . She and her husband, Jasinski, opened the Tulsa Civic Ballet and School, now the Tulsa Ballet Theatre . She taught at the University of Tulsa and taught American Indian children dance. She stayed in Tulsa until she passed on April 25, 2012. Larkin has received multiple honors and awards throughout her successful career. She

2664-632: The Year. In 1964, University of Oklahoma's Theta Sigma Phi named her Outstanding Faculty of 1964. And The Soroptimist Club of Oklahoma City named her Outstanding Woman of Oklahoma for 1970. Rosella Hightower ( Choctaw Nation , 1920–2008), was born in Durwood, Oklahoma . She was an only child to her parents Charles Edgar and Eula May Flanning Hightower. At age 5, her father got a job with the Missouri, Kansa, Texas Railway , so they moved to Kansas City, Kansas . Hightower

2738-539: The actual membership was 67 Grand Cross, 314 Grand Officers, 3,009 Commanders, 17,032 Officers and 74,384 Knights. Appointments of veterans of World War II , French military personnel involved in the North African Campaign and other foreign French military operations, as well as wounded soldiers, are made independently of the quota. Members convicted of a felony ( crime in French) are automatically dismissed from

2812-665: The age of 12, then studied with Madame Bronislava Nijinska and David Lichine . After graduating from High School, Tallchief moved to New York to be an apprentice for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo . In 1942, after their Canadian tour, she became a full member in the corps de ballet . Up until this point she went by Betty Marie Tallchief, but the company wanted her to change her last name. Wanting to stay true to her Osage heritage, she changed her first name to Maria. Tallchief had leading roles in Orpheus , The Firebird , Swan Lake , and The Nutcracker , which were all choreographed by Balanchine. And her role as T he Firebird started her career as

2886-502: The award when it was offered to them. While membership in the Légion is technically restricted to French nationals, foreign nationals who have served France or the ideals it upholds may receive the honour. Foreign nationals who live in France are subject to the same requirements as the French. Foreign nationals who live abroad may be awarded a distinction of any rank or dignity in the Légion . Foreign heads of state and their spouses or consorts of monarchs are made Grand Cross as

2960-399: The basic shape and structure of the insignia has remained generally the same, the hanging device changed back and forth and France itself swung back and forth between republic and monarchy . The central disc in the centre has also changed to reflect the political system and leadership of France at the time. As each new regime came along the design was altered to become politically correct for

3034-425: The book upon her request. 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

Five Moons - Misplaced Pages Continue

3108-414: The case of a military unit, its flag is decorated with the insignia of a knight, which is a different award from the fourragère . Twenty-one schools, mainly schools providing reserve officers during the World Wars, were awarded the Légion d'Honneur. Foreign military units can be decorated with the order, such as the U.S. Military Academy . The Flag or Standard of the following units was decorated with

3182-414: The commandants were now commanders. The Légion d'honneur became the second-ranking order of knighthood of the French monarchy, after the Order of the Holy Spirit . Following the overthrow of the Bourbons in favour of King Louis Philippe I of the House of Orléans , the Bourbon monarchy's orders were once again abolished and the Légion d'honneur was restored in 1830 as the paramount decoration of

3256-685: The decoration in their municipal coat of arms . Organisations to receive the honour include the French Red Cross ( Croix-Rouge Française ), the Abbaye de Nôtre-Dame des Dombes ( Abbey of Notre-Dame des Dombes ), the French National Railway Company ( SNCF , Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français ), the Préfecture de Police de la Ville de Paris ( Prefecture of Police of Paris ), and various Grandes Écoles (National (Elite) Colleges) and other educational establishments. The military distinctions ( Légion d'honneur à titre militaire ) are awarded for bravery ( actions de guerre ) or for service. For active-duty commissioned officers,

3330-431: The fashion of the time allowed for decorations to be worn most of the time. The king of Sweden therefore declined the order; it was too common in his eyes. Napoleon's own decorations were captured by the Prussians and were displayed in the Zeughaus (armoury) in Berlin until 1945. Today, they are in Moscow. Louis XVIII changed the appearance of the order, but it was not abolished. To have done so would have angered

3404-408: The first American was admitted: Thomas Wiltberger Evans , dentist of Napoleon III. In 1870, the defeat of the French Imperial Army in the Franco-Prussian War brought the end of the Empire and the creation of the Third Republic (1871–1940). As France changed, the Légion d'honneur changed as well. The crown was replaced by a laurel and oak wreath. In 1871, during the Paris Commune uprising,

3478-576: The first fully accredited dance department in the United States at the University of Oklahoma at Norman, Oklahoma . She was featured in Ballets Russes , a documentary film by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. She died after a long illness on January 24, 2016. During her career, she worked with such noted choreographers as George Balanchine , Leonide Massine , Antony Tudor , Agnes de Mille , and Bronislava Nijinska . Governor Frank Keating designated her an Oklahoma Treasure on October 8, 1997. She

3552-488: The first person to enter the Order at Grand Officer level. Veil was a member of the Académie française , a former Health Minister and President of the European Parliament , as well as an Auschwitz survivor. She was promoted to Grand Cross in 2012. Every year at least five recipients decline the award. Even if they refuse to accept it, they are still included in the order's official membership. The composers Maurice Ravel and Charles Koechlin , for example, declined

3626-440: The first recorded woman, Angélique Duchemin , an old revolutionary of the 1789 uprising against the absolute monarchy, was admitted into the order. On 2 December 1851, President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte staged a coup d'état with the help of the armed forces. He made himself Emperor of the French exactly one year later on 2 December 1852, after a successful plebiscite . An Imperial crown was added. During Napoleon III 's reign,

3700-528: The girls could get the best ballet training. Tallchief married George Balanchine , a renowned Russian choreographer and dancer, on August 16, 1946. She claims that he made her "a star in the art of ballet." In 1951, they annulled their marriage but stayed together in their choreographer-dancer relationship. Tallchief briefly married Elmourza Natirboff from 1952 to 1954 and then met and married Henry Buzz Paschen in 1956. They had one daughter, Elise Maria Paschen. Tallchief primarily learned from Ernest Belcher until

3774-400: The head of Marianne , surrounded by the legend République Française on a blue enamel ring. The reverse central disc is also in gilt, with a set of crossed tricolores , surrounded by the Légion's motto Honneur et Patrie ('Honour and Fatherland') and its foundation date on a blue enamel ring. The badge is suspended by an enameled laurel and oak wreath. The star (or plaque )

SECTION 50

#1732855816761

3848-481: The individual, the Emperor would take the Legion d'Honneur from his own coat and pin it on the chest of the man. The order was the first modern order of merit . Under the monarchy, such orders were often limited to Roman Catholics, all knights had to be noblemen, and military decorations were restricted to officers . The Légion d'honneur , however, was open to men of all ranks and professions; only merit or bravery counted. The new legionnaire had to be sworn into

3922-468: The last paintings by Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger was The Four Moons, used for the cover of Louis Ballard's ballet program. The 1967 tempera and casein painting features Chouteau, Hightower, Larkin, and Marjorie Tallchief in a range of dynamic dance positions with four stylized moons, on a solid blue field. Lili Cockerille Livingston wrote a biography of the women, entitled American Indian Ballerinas, . She excluded Moscelyne Larkin Jasinski from

3996-403: The medal is plain red. The badge or star is not usually worn, except at the time of the decoration ceremony or on a dress uniform or formal wear . Instead, one normally wears the ribbon or rosette on their suit. For less formal occasions, recipients wear a simple stripe of thread sewn onto the lapel (red for chevaliers and officiers , silver for commandeurs ). Except when wearing

4070-405: The medal, whatever the Légion d'honneur rank and the military rank of the bearer. This is not mandatory with the ribbon. In practice, however, this is rarely done. There is not a single, complete list of all the members of the Legion in chronological order. The number is estimated at one million, including about 2,900 Knights Grand Cross. French nationals, men and women, can be received into

4144-618: The nation's cultural heritage. Chevalier de la L%C3%A9gion d%27honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( French : Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur [ɔʁdʁ nɑsjɔnal də la leʒjɔ̃ dɔnœʁ] ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour ( Ordre impérial de la Légion d'honneur ), is the highest French order of merit , both military and civil , and currently comprises five classes. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte , it has been retained (with occasional slight alterations) by all later French governments and regimes. The order's motto

4218-464: The order. Members convicted of a misdemeanour ( délit in French) can be dismissed as well, although this is not automatic. Wearing the decoration of the Légion d'honneur without having the right to do so is a serious offence. Wearing the ribbon or rosette of a foreign order is prohibited if that ribbon is mainly red, like the ribbon of the Legion of Honour. French military personnel in uniform must salute other military members in uniform wearing

4292-415: 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

4366-417: The time, sometimes even changed multiple times during one historical era. The badge of the Légion is shaped as a five-armed "Maltese Asterisk ", using five distinctive "arrowhead" shaped arms inspired by the Maltese Cross . The badge is rendered in gilt (in silver for chevalier) enameled white, with an enameled laurel and oak wreath between the arms. The obverse central disc is in gilt, featuring

4440-462: Was a part of several companies, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1938 to 1941, Ballet Theatre from 1941 to 1945, Original Ballet Russe from 1945 to 1947, Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas from 1947 to 1953 and 1957 to 1962, and American Ballet Theatre from 1955 to 1957. In 1962, she founded the Center for Classical Dance in Cannes, France. The school was structured after her beliefs and ideas of what multidisciplinary training should be. Hightower

4514-574: Was a professional dancer for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo . And they had two children, Christina Maria and Antonia Elizabeth. Chouteau and her husband, Terekhov, retired in Oklahoma City . She later passed on January 24, 2016. In 1943, at age 14, Chouteau joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo . She is one of the youngest dancers to ever be accepted into a professional company. She worked with renowned choreographers like, George Balanchine , Leonide Massine , Antony Tudor , Agnes de Mille , and Bronislav Nijinska . Some of her most famous roles include,

SECTION 60

#1732855816761

4588-422: Was a schoolteacher. Inspired to dance at age four after seeing the great ballerina Alexandra Danilova dance in Oklahoma City , Chouteau studied at the School of American Ballet in New York before Danilova recommended her in 1943 to Serge Denham for the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo. At 14, she was the youngest dancer ever accepted. Her first solo role was as Prayer in Coppelia . (1945). At age 18, she

4662-513: Was born during a family vacation to Denver, Colorado , but grew up in Fairfax, Oklahoma . She and her sister, Maria Tallchief, moved with the family to California to pursue ballet training when they were young. She studied with Ernest Belcher , Bronislava Nijinska , and David Linchine . Tallchief married George Skibine, an artistic director and choreographer, in 1947 in Vichy, France. They had two children, Alexander and George. She resided in Florida from 1989 until her retirement in 1993. Tallchief

4736-429: Was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma . She learned the traditions of the Osage tribe from her grandmother Eliza Bigheart Tall Chief. Her great-grandfather, Peter Bigheart, was one of the people who helped make the Osage tribe wealthy, by negotiating with the US government about their oil reserves. Her parents, Alexander and Ruth Porter Tall Chief and her two siblings, Gerald and Marjorie, all moved to Los Angeles, California so

4810-463: Was born in Miami, Oklahoma . Her parents were Ruben Larkin, a Shawnee-Peoria Indian, and Eva Matlagova-Larkin, who was a dancer and trained Moscelyne until her mid-teens. And from there she moved to New York and study with Mikhail Mordkin , Anatole Vilzak-Shollar, and Vincenzo Celli. Larkin met her husband, Roman Jasinski, when on tour with Ballet Russe . On December 24, 1943, Larkin and Jasinski married in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They danced together as

4884-419: Was briefly married to dancer Mischa Resnikov, in 1938. Then later married French designer and artist, Jean Robier, in Paris, 1952. They had one child, Dominique Robier, who was born in Kansas City. Hightower began studying dance at age 13 under Dorthy Perkins. She then moved to New York to continue to study with Michel Fokine , Anatole Vilzak, and Alexandra Fedorova. She began her professional career in 1938 and

4958-531: Was honored at the Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas Festival in 1957 and 1967, where she performed with the other three American Indian ballerinas in Oklahoma. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1978. She received the Dance Magazine award in 1988. She was named Outstanding Indian by the Council of American Indians in 1976. She served on the dance advisory panel for the State Arts Council and she introduced dance into Tulsa's public schools. Maria Tallchief , also known as Betty Marie ( Osage Nation , 1925–2013)

5032-441: Was in multiple companies, the American Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1946 to 1947, the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas from 1948 to 1955, Ruth Page's Chicago Opera Ballet as a guest artist from 1958 to 1962, and the Harkness Ballet as a prima ballerina from 1964 to 1966. Her most famous leading roles were in Night Shadow in 1950, Annabel Lee in 1951, Idylle in 1954, Romeo and Juliet in 1955, and Giselle in 1957. She

5106-420: Was slow to accept his indirect political responsibility, which caused his eventual resignation on 2 December 1887. During World War I , some 55,000 decorations were conferred, 20,000 of which went to foreigners. The large number of decorations resulted from the new posthumous awards authorised in 1918. Traditionally, membership in the Légion d'honneur could not be awarded posthumously. The establishment of

5180-446: Was started to restore the statue. Gary Henson, one of the sculpture’s creators, worked to restore it, including making new moulds for the parts that were never recovered. The restored statue was unveiled on 29 October 2023. Yvonne Chouteau Myra Yvonne Chouteau ( / ʃ uː ˈ t oʊ / ) (March 7, 1929 – January 24, 2016) was an American ballerina and one of the " Five Moons " or Native prima ballerinas of Oklahoma . She

5254-549: Was the director of two companies, Marseilles Opera Ballet in Marseilles, France from 1969 to 1972, and the Ballet de Nancy in France from 1975 to 1978. In 1981, Hightower became the first American director of the Ballet of Paris Opera and soon became known as the "aristocrat of ballet dancing." She passed on November 4, 2008, in Cannes, France. Due to Hightower's successful career in France, she received France's premier honor, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1975. Moscelyne Larkin ( Peoria / Eastern Shawnee / Russian , 1925–2012)

5328-603: Was the first American Indian to become premiere danseuse etoile in the Paris Opera . Tallchief's classical and contemporary roles made her one of the most versatile ballet dancers during the 20th century. She performed for many heads of state, the most well-known being John F. Kennedy , Charles de Gaulle , and Lyndon B. Johnson . She was also the director of several companies, such as the Civic Ballet Academy in Dallas, Texas ,

5402-501: Was the only child of Corbett Edward and Lucy Annette Chouteau. She was born March 7, 1929, in Fort Worth , Texas . In 1943, she became the youngest dancer ever accepted to the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo , where she worked for fourteen years. In 1962, she and her husband, Miguel Terekhov , founded the first fully accredited university dance program in the United States, the School of Dance at

5476-465: Was the youngest member inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame . In 1956, Chouteau married dancer Miguel Terekhov. Her first husband was flutist and conductor Claude Monteux , though their brief marriage was annulled. After she had her first child with Terekhov, they moved to Oklahoma City. Together they organized the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet (now Oklahoma City Ballet ). In 1962, they established

#760239