This story was originally published on The Conversation. It appears here under a Creative Commons license. On Nov. 27, 1949, prima ballerina Maria Tallchief waited for her cue in the wings of the City Center in downtown Manhattan, preparing to take the stage in the New York City Ballet’s premiere of “Firebird.” This production was a reimagining of a famous ballet based on a Russian folktale and featured an Osage ballerina who forced the dance world to reimagine who could be one of their biggest stars. In that moment, Tallchief…
