Ballerina Maria Tallchief performs for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower during "An American Pageant of the Arts," on November 29, 1962. The purpose of the event was to raise funds for the National Cultural Center, begun under Eisenhower's administration and encouraged under Kennedy's.
Two months after President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, Congress passed and President Johnson signed into law legislation renaming the National Cultural Center as a "living memorial" to John F. Kennedy.
Watch the full pageant with Bob Newhart, Harry Belafonte, Yo-Yo Ma, Danny Kaye, Marian Anderson, Robert Frost, Andre Previn, and many more:
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Learn more about the Kennedy Center's history:
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Maria Tallchief was considered America's first major prima ballerina. She was the first Native American to hold the rank, and is said to have revolutionized ballet. When George Balanchine co-founded what would become the New York City Ballet in 1946, Tallchief became the company's first star. The combination of Balanchine's difficult choreography and Tallchief's passionate dancing changed the world of dance. She served as director of ballet for the Lyric Opera of Chicago for most of the 1970s and debuted the Chicago City Ballet in 1981. Tallchief was honored by the people of Oklahoma with multiple statues and an honorific day. She was inducted in the National Women's Hall of Fame and received a National Medal of Arts. In 1996, Tallchief received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievements.
Help Inspire Others: The Kennedy Center building may be temporarily closed, but its arts and education programming is still alive! Your gift today will provide vital support for the arts during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Please consider donating today at:
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