Maria Tallchief: Prima Ballerina

How did Tallchief impact the world of ballet?

• She showed the world that women could be stars.

• She opened the doors of ballet to people of all backgrounds.

• She inspired young girls to choose ballet over the piano.

• She led the way for her younger sister to become a famous dancer

Why did Maria's family move to Los Angeles when she was young?

• Her parents wanted Maria and her sister to have a better education.

• Her parents wanted to live on the beach.

• Her family wanted a change in the weather.

• Her family wanted to be closer to Maria's aging grandparents.

How were Tallchief and her sister alike?

• They both had a musical gift.

• They both moved to New York.

• They both played piano as teenagers.

• They both enjoyed Native American dance at county fairs.

Which of the following sentences is an example of the authors expressing their opinion about Tallchief's dancing?

• She eventually became the New York City Ballet's first prima ballerina or leading female dancer.

• Many of her students later became very successful in the world of ballet.

• Tallchief danced in a grand yet free way that set her apart from other ballerinas.

• While Tallchief was with the New York City Ballet, she performed with them in nineteen countries.

George Balanchine was a choreographer who started working with Tallchief and the Russian ballet company. What is a choreographer?

• a type of dance that uses light leaps and turns

• a group of artists who work and perform together

• a person who is the first to do something new or different

• a person who chooses the style and the arrangement of steps and moves for a dance performance.

What is the main idea of the section, "Chicago: Master Teacher"?

• After retiring from dance, Tallchief continued making an impact in the world of ballet by opening the Chicago City of Ballet and helping many dancers to become successful.

• Tallchief was born in 1925 in Fairfax, Oklahoma, and was called Betty Marie as a child.

• Tallchief received several important awards for her work in the late 1990s, such as the National Medal of Arts and was inducted into the National Women Hall of Fame.

• As the first American prima ballerina, Tallchief helped inspire a new style of ballet that opened its doors to people of all backgrounds.

Which of the following words best describes Tallchief's personality?

• lucky

• dedicated

• funny

• confused

What can you infer about the author's point of view from this book?

• The authors believe that Europe has the most talented ballerinas in the world.

• The authors believed that Tallchief was a graceful dancer who forever changed the world of ballet.

• The authors believed that Tallchief deserves much more recognition than she has received.

• The authors that more students should pursue ballet and dedicate themselves like Tallchief did.

Why did Tallchief find the Chicago City of Ballet?

• She was unhappy with the roles she was receiving in the New York City of Ballet.

• She wanted to continue dancing but stay closer to home.

• She was told to do so by Balanchine, who founded the New York City Ballet.

• She felt that Chicago should have a leading ballet company.

Tallchief became Balanchine's greatest source of inspiration. Which of the following words means almost the same as inspiration in this sentence

• ballet

• happiness

• dancing

• influence