num_pages: 28
description: Growing up on the Osage Indian reservation, Maria Tallchief was a gifted pianist and dancer. According to Osage tradition, women are not permitted to dance, but Maria's parents recognized her gifts and allowed her to break the rule. Then when Maria reached the age of twelve, her father told her it was time to choose between her two loves. Maria chose ballet. It was a decision that would change not only the course of her life, but the face of classical ballet in America. The fascinating story of Maria Tallchief's rise to become America's prima ballerina will captivate young readers.
language: English
title: Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina
titlecomplete: Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina
characters: Maria Tallchief
genres: Middle Grade, Native Americans, History, Childrens, Autobiography, Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 154
publisher: Puffin Books