SCR 23 Summary

• Honors the life and achievements of Maria Tallchief, an Oklahoma-born ballerina born January 24, 1925 in Fairfax, Oklahoma to Ruth Porter Tall Chief and Alexander Joseph Tall Chief (full-blood Osage Indian).

• Recognizes Tallchief as America's first prima ballerina and one of the most important ballerinas of the 20th century who rose to international stardom, including performing starring roles choreographed by George Balanchine in ballets such as The Firebird, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker.

• Acknowledges her historic achievements as the first American ballerina to perform with the Paris Opera and Moscow's Bolshoi Theater, and her role in the 1952 MGM film "Million Dollar Mermaid."

• Mourns Tallchief's death on April 11, 2013 in Chicago at age 88 and expresses condolences to her surviving family members including daughter Elise Paschen, son-in-law Stuart Brainerd, sister Marjorie Tallchief, and two grandchildren.

• Directs distribution of a copy of the resolution to her daughter, Elise Paschen.