What was the most interesting fact about Maria Tallchief that you learned in your research?

I learned that Maria Tallchief was the first American dancer to perform on some of the oldest and grandest ballet stages in Europe. I love this little tidbit because when we think about folks leaving their homelands, travelling across oceans, and becoming the first to achieve something on a foreign continent, we rarely think about people from the Americas travelling to Europe. It’s almost always the other way around in our history books. But we have been a globalized society for generations, so of course some Native Americans travel abroad and do amazing things across the world.

What is the biggest lesson you hope young readers take away from the book?

Maria assumed countless roles across the course of her life. She was a student, a corps dance, a soloist, a prima ballerina. She was a teacher, a mentor, a leader, and an artistic director. She was a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a mother, an auntie, a grandmother. She was many things to many different people. I hope young readers will see her complexity and humanity reflected in this book.

How did you do the research for this biography?

I read Maria’s autobiography as well as articles about her from a variety of sources. I also watched a few short clips of her on YouTube. But unfortunately, it was surprisingly difficult to find footage of her dancing.

What question would you ask Maria Tallchief if you had the chance to meet her?

I’d love to know if she had a favorite role. I emphasized Firebird when I wrote this book because she discussed it in her autobiography, and its premiere certainly seemed like a pivotal moment in her career. But I still wonder if that was her favorite.

What does the Persisterhood mean to you?

I think the Persisterhood is a celebration. We are so lucky to learn about these amazing women. We are lucky to share their stories, to see what their lives and situations were like, and to understand how their actions made the world a bit brighter for the rest of us. This series is also a reminder that we all have power as individuals. Our personal decisions impact future generations, and it’s an honor and a privilege to share that responsibility with each other.