Moscelyne Larkin

v. l. No. Maria Tallchief, Yvonne Chouteau, Moscelyne Larkin

v. l. No. Marjorie Tallchief, Rosella Hightower.

Edna Moscelyne Larkin Jasinski (* 14. January 1925 in Miami (Oklahoma) ; † 25. April 2012 Tulsa , Oklahoma) was a Native American - American ballerina and member of the " Five Moons ," an Indian-American group of ballerinas from Oklahoma who were internationally known in the 20th century. After dancing in the ballet companies Original Ballets Russes and Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo , she and her husband, the Polish- born ballet dancer Roman Jasinski, settled in Tulsa, where in 1956 they founded the Tulsa Ballet School and the Tulsa Civic Ballet ( later known as the Tulsa Ballet ). The Tulsa Ballet became one of the most important ballet companies in the American Southwest and made its debut in New York City in 1983 . Larkin's portrait is on the Flight of Spirit mural in the Oklahoma State Capitol Rotunda in Oklahoma City.

Early life and education

Edna Moscelyne Larkin was in 1925 Miami (Oklahoma) as the only daughter of Eva Matlagova-Larkin, a young dancer from Russia , and Ruben Larkin, a Shawnee - Peoria - Indians born. Her mother personally gave her ballet lessons until Larkin was old enough to move to New York City to study. There she studied under Vincenzo Celli, Mikhail Mordkin and Anatole Vilzak-Shollar.

Dance career

In 1941, at the age of 15, Larkin joined Colonel Wassily de Basils Original Ballets Russes . She performed with the ballet company in Europe and America. While working at the Original Ballet Russe, Larkin met her future husband Roman Jasinski , a leading dancer from Poland .

In 1948 she became a ballerina and moved with her husband to Serge Denham 's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo . In the Radio City Music Hall , they often appeared as a prima ballerina on. In 1954 Larkin toured Asia with Alexandra Danilova 's "Great Movements in Dance". She convinced as a soubrette in comical roles. She also played the Cancan -Tänzerin in La Gaîté Parisienne . Agnes de Mille , the choreographer and dancer, admired Larkin's performance as a cowgirl in Aaron Copland 's Rodeo , a role that was premiered by de Mille.

marriage and family

In 1943 Larkin married Roman Jasinski. After her son, Roman Larkin Jasinski was born on February 21, 1954, she decided to retire from dancing. The Larkin Jasinski family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they founded a ballet school and the Tulsa Civic Ballet (later known as the Tulsa Ballet). It became one of the most important ballet companies in the American Southwest and premiered in New York City in 1983 . Larkin introduced school children to ballet and also taught advanced ballet to students at the University of Tulsa .

Together with the four other dancers of Indian descent ( Yvonne Chouteau , Rosella Hightower , Maria Tallchief and Marjorie Tallchief ), who all danced at the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, Larkin was part of the prominent ballet group The Five Moons .

death

Larkin suffered from Alzheimer's disease and died in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 25, 2012 of complications from pneumonia. She is survived by her son Roman Larkin Jasinski.

Honors

In 1978 Larkin was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame . In 1988 she received the annual Dance Magazine Award. In 1993 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame . The Council of American Indians honored Moscelyne Larkin as "Outstanding Indian" in the same year.

The sculpture

As a member of the Five Moons , Moscelyne Larkin was honored in November 2007, along with four other dancers of Indian descent ( Yvonne Chouteau , Rosella Hightower , Maria Tallchief and her sister Marjorie Tallchief ) with a bronze statue from the cycle by the sculptor Monte England . England started sculpture in 1995, when he passed away in 2005, Gary Henson continued the work. The statues are on the west lawn in the garden of the Tulsa Historical Society in ( Tulsa , Oklahoma).

photos

The Chickasaw painters Mike Larsen made for the Oklahoma State Capitol Rotunda in Oklahoma City a mural called Flight of Spirit . Another picture is from the Muskogee Jerome Tiger .

ballet

A ballet called The Four Moons was written for the 1967 Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival and reflects the tribal origins of the five artists. The music is by Louis Ballard , a Quapaw - Cherokee .

literature

Lili Cockerille Livingston wrote a biography of the five women, American Indian ballerinas, but left out Moscelyne Larkin Jasinski at their request.

Web links

• Video by OkNews: Five Native American Ballerinas (English)
• Photo: The Indian Ballerinas

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} One of the five Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas Larkin dies at 87 . Tulsa World. April 27, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2012., English
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Foster, Toni Annette. Moscelyne Larkin profile ( memento of the original from March 9, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Oklahoma Historical Society Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture (2009); retrieved February 10, 2009. (English) 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Livingston, Lili Cockerille. American Indian ballerinas . Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999: xix, (English)
4. ^ Obituary for Roman Jasinski The New York Times, April 17, 1991, online, in English, accessed November 22, 2009.
5. ↑ Watts, James D., Jr. Breathing life through dance , The Tulsa World, July 15, 2007, accessed February 10, 2009.
6. ↑ Jack Anderson, Roman Jasinski, 83, Ex-Dancer And a Leader in Regional Ballet , The New York Times , April 17, 1991, accessed March 21, 2011.
7. ↑ Tulsa World , November 11, 2007 , English
8. ^ Tulsa Historical Society, "Five Moons Rising . " Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 26, 2008., English 
9. ↑ Rosella Hightower, Prima Ballerina and School Founder, Is Dead at 88 The New York Times, November 4, 2008, English
10. ↑ Morand, Ann, Kevin Smith, Daniel C. Swan, and Sarah Erwin. Treasures of Gilcrease: Selections from the Permanent Collection. Tulsa, OK: Gilcrease Museum, 2003: 111. ISBN 0-9725657-1-X
11. ↑ Everett, Dianna. Ballard, Louis Wayne (1931-). ( Memento of the original from January 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. 2009 
12. ↑ Livingston, Lili Cockerille. American Indian ballerinas . Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999: xix.