Roseola hightower biography examples
Rosella Hightower
American ballerina and member of the Choctaw Nation
Rosella Hightower | |
|---|---|
Hightower in | |
| Born | ()January 10, Durwood, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | November 4, () (aged&#;88) Cannes, France |
| Occupation | Prima ballerina |
| Years&#;active | – |
| Spouse | Jean Robier &#; &#; (m.&#;; died&#;)&#; |
| Children | Dominique Monet Robier |
| Career | |
| Former&#;groups | Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Cuevas Ballet |
| Dances |
|
Rosella Hightower (January 10, – November 4, ) was an American ballerina and member of the Choctaw Nation.
One of the Five Moons, she achieved fame in both the United States and Europe, and later enjoyed a career as an instructor and opera director.
Early life
Rosella Hightower was born in Durwood, Carter County, Oklahoma,[1] the only child of the Choctaw Charles Edgar Hightower and his wife, the former Eula May Fanning.
She moved with her family to Kansas City, Missouri after her father took a new position with the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Hightower began her dance training in Kansas City under the instruction of Dorothy Perkins.[2]
Career
After a appearance by Russian choreographer and ballet dancer Léonide Massine in Kansas City with Wassily de Basil's Ballets Russes, Massine invited Hightower to join a new ballet company he was forming in Monte Carlo.
Hightower traveled to France at her own expense and discovered that she had been invited for further auditions and had been given no commitment of employment by the group.
Roseola hightower biography examples Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Rosella could keep up with Massine and gained new respect within the company. Hightman, Jason ? As de Cuevas's favorite dancer, she toured Europe, Asia, and South America with his company for 15 years.She was ultimately accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo where she was guided by Massine who recognized her hard work and ability to learn quickly. There she met André Eglevsky, her future partner at various dance companies. After the outbreak of World War II, Hightower followed the Ballet Russe to New York City, where she joined the Ballet Theater in [2]
She joined the de Basil Ballet in , which was performing under the name Original Ballet Russe.
Hightower received acclaim from John Martin of The New York Times after a March performance of Giselle by the Original Ballet Russe at the Metropolitan Opera House. After Alicia Markova, who had been scheduled to dance the title role, became sick, Hightower was called in as her replacement, and learned the part she had never danced before in some five hours of rehearsal with dancer/choreographer Anton Dolin.
Martin's review stated that the "Original Ballet Russe had planned no novelty for the opening of its season but there was a major one on its program nevertheless.
Roseola hightower biography examples images Hightower saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity being given to her and she was not going to pass this chance up. Her commitment and passion for ballet would eventually lead her to become a renowned ballerina, inspiring countless dancers around the globe. Her father, a railway employee, was of the Choctaw tribe, and her mother was of Irish descent. Higman, B arry W illiamThis was the unscheduled first appearance of Rosella Hightower in the title role of Giselle", calling it "a thoroughly admirable achievement, which brought an ovation from the audience".[3] Three days later, Martin's review of Swan Lake called Hightower "the newest star on the ballet horizon" after her two performances with Dolin and then André Eglevsky as her partner[4]
In , she accepted an invitation from the Chilean Marquis George de Cuevas to join a new ballet company, which was variously called the Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo or the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, but was most commonly called the de Cuevas Ballet by theatergoers.
The presence there of choreographer Bronislava Nijinska was one of the major factors in Hightower's decision. Nijinska choreographed for Hightower the "glitteringly virtuosic" Rondo Capriccioso. In addition to classic dances, Hightower's performances included Piège de Lumière by John Taras, the troupe's choreographer and balletmaster, in which she danced the role of a butterfly in a tropical forest who enchants a group of escaped convicts.[2]
The company disbanded after the death of de Cuevas, and Hightower largely retired from the stage, though she gave a series of performances in with Sonia Arova, Erik Bruhn and Rudolf Nureyev.
She opened the École supérieure de danse de Cannes in near her home in Cannes, which became one of Europe's leading ballet schools. Hightower later directed several major companies, including the Marseilles Ballet from to , the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre of Nancy in –74, the Paris Opéra Ballet from to and the La Scala Ballet of Milan in –
Death and legacy
Hightower was briefly married to dancer Mischa Resnikov in She married Jean Robier, a French artist and designer, in ; they had one daughter, dancer Dominique Monet Robier (b.
Short biography examples Highway Safety Act of You could say lady luck was smiling down on Hightower when another dancer dropped out and she got a spot in the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo. The French government recognized her contributions with some of its highest honors. It [took] two weeks!).[2] She was found in her home in Cannes, France on November 4, , aged 88, having died either earlier that morning or late the previous night. She had suffered a series of strokes.[2]
Hightower is honored alongside four other Native American ballerinas (Yvonne Chouteau, Moscelyne Larkin, Maria Tallchief and Marjorie Tallchief), with a larger than life-size bronze statue, The Five Moons in the garden of the in Tulsa Historical Society.[2] She stands alongside the four depicted in "Flight of Spirit," a mural in the Oklahoma Capitol building.
A portrait of her hangs among other famous Choctaw individuals in the Choctaw Capitol museum in Tuskahoma. In , the French government named her a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, the country’s premier honor for her services to the opera and ballet.[5]
References
- ^Short, Candy Franklin.
Hightower, Rosella (–).Archived November 21, , at the Wayback MachineOklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. (retrieved Feb 9, )
- ^ abcdefAnderson, Jack.
"Rosella Hightower, Prima Ballerina and School Founder, Is Dead at 88", The New York Times, November 4, Accessed November 5,
- ^Martin, John.Roseola hightower biography examples wikipedia Hightower would soon have the opportunity to dance major roles like Giselle, Swan Lake, Constantia, Colloque Sentimental, La Sylphide and Sleeping Beauty all gaining praise from the audience and critics. We could study and read in our room, were allowed to stay up later than the younger students, and could have a half hour longer in bed in the mornings Hightower got her greatest recognition as a dance leader when she became a director of the Paris Opera Ballet from to Hightower, Dennis Fowler.
"Rosella Hightower Scores in Giselle Role, Replacing Markova, as Ballet Russe Opens", The New York Times, March 21, Accessed November 5,
- ^Martin, John. "THE BALLET RUSSE AT METROPOLITAN; Rosella Hightower Seen Twice in 'Swan Lake" – Monte Carlo Troupe at City Center", The New York Times, March 24, Accessed November 5,
- ^"Hightower, Rosella | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture".
. Retrieved April 26,