answersLogoWhite

0

Maria Tallchief's greatest struggle was her acceptance as a Native American Ballet dancer. Starting out in the ballet world, Maria's talent was ignored and looked down upon by fellow company members as well as the public. Ballet was considered a largely European art form and being a Native American, she was not expected to be great. At the time of her beginnings as a ballet dancer, even Americans were very prejudiced against Native Americans. For a woman of Native American descent to be putting herself out in the world of ballet, an art form often seen as lofty and only for people of a certain "esteemed" class and heritage, she faced many "strange looks." In each ballet company she danced in, she had to work harder to be seen as equal or even "great", especially once she moved to dance in Europe. Over time, due to her outstanding talent, she was able to overcome adversity and was viewed as an amazing dancer instead of being judged for her Native American ancestry.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?