About the Author

Maria Tallchief was George Balanchine's muse for twenty years and his wife for six. Together they made the New York City Ballet an essential part of American culture with his choreography and her dazzling, technically bravura dancing. Tallchief received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1996. She lives in Chicago. Larry Kaplan writes frequently for Ballet Review and has assisted in biographies of Merrill Ashley and Edward Villella. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

"Tallchief's autobiography provides us with many stories, insights, even passing remarks that shed light on both this crucial moment in dance history and Balanchine's elusive personality. Tallchief has now given us her definitive and convincing account of Balanchine as choreographer, teacher, husband, friend. "--New York Times Book Review; "Maria Tallchief and American ballet came of age in the same moment.... Her story will always be the story of ballet conquering America. It was and is an American romance." --The New Yorker; "Tastefully yet candidly told... a life story that abounds with droll tales and with detailed descriptions of her roles in Balanchine's The Firebird, The Nutcracker, Orpheus, and Sylvia, among others. Tallchief is equality frank and lively in describing her career after Balanchine, including an affair with the nubile Rudolf Nureyev." --Kirkus; "Tallchief, the daughter of a full-blooded Osage Indian father and a mother of Scotch-Irish descent, was the queen of American ballet in its glory years.... her life story reads like a fairy tale, but one in which the princess must pay a high price for her magical gifts. Tallchief devoted herself to ballet at an early age, achieving instant recognition when she went to New York in 1942 at age 17. Immediately accepted as a member of the Ballet Russe, she caught the fervent attention of the controversial and brilliant choreographer George Balanchine. He made Tallchief not only his prima ballerina--creating unforgettable roles for her that called for 'pyrotechnical virtuoslty and limitless stamina'--but also his wife. Her descriptions of working with Balanchine and Stravinsky are fascinating and exhilarating."--Booklist"