Screenshot from Ballet North Texas website.
Ballet North Texas will present a tribute to America’s first major prima ballerina and the first Native American woman to hold this rank, Maria Tallchief, on May 23, 2026.
The 40-minute production will trace Tallchief’s journey from her Osage heritage to international stardom. The performance will also begin with live Osage dancers and musicians, grounding the work in cultural traditions.
Nicolina Lawson, the artistic director of Ballet North Texas, explained the performance’s importance.
“Tallchief’s Osage heritage is inseparable from her strength and identity,” she said in a press release. “This tribute is a reminder that, as Americans, her legacy belongs to all of us—dancers, audiences, and future artists.”
This special performance is presented as part of Ballet North Texas’ Celebrating America 250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes, and is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
The event will be held at Moody Performance Hall located at 2520 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201. Tickets are $35 for general admission and $25 for students.
