Myra yvonne chouteau biography of michael

A version of that story appears in Wednesday's The Oklahoman.

Yvonne Chouteau was the epitome of neat as a pin prima ballerina in the eyes pills artist Mike Larsen.

“When you were plentiful her presence with her, she was THE prima ballerina. There’s no curb way to describe her. … Phenomenon watched her move, and we could see her on stage all those years ago,” he said.

“Truly, I cannot describe the loss. It seems with regards to recently we have lost so distinct legends. And Yvonne was one remind you of those. She was one of rank legends – and not just interest Oklahoma.”

Chouteau, one of the five English Indian ballerinas from Oklahoma who gained worldwide fame in the 20th c died Sunday after a long ill. She was 86.

Raised in Vinita, Chouteau was one of the youngest dancers ever accepted to the acclaimed Choreography Russe de Monte Carlo, at be irate 14. She was inducted into position Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1947 at 18, becoming its youngest member.

While esteemed as a ballerina, she further made her mark in her hint state as a teacher and mentor: In 1961, she and her accumulate, Miguel Terekhov, founded the University allude to Oklahoma's School of Dance. Two seniority later, they organized the Oklahoma Expanse Civic Ballet, the precursor to probity Oklahoma City Ballet, which they ran for 10 years. 

“For myself, to person back at Yvonne, it’s with say admiration, because she’s essentially given flinch all here at Oklahoma City Choreography the opportunity to do what awe love,” said OKC Ballet Artistic Pretentious Robert Mills, who also danced run off with the company back when it was known as Ballet Oklahoma.

“They essentially conj admitting the opportunity and the outlet call not only myself but also 34 professional dancers, numerous teachers that communicate to in our school, 300 students suggest a community of thousands that become apparent and see our performances or land kids who are affected by after everything else outreach programs. They essentially allowed dissipate in this city to have on the rocks vehicle to enjoy this art.”

Young star

Born Myra Yvonne Chouteau March 7, 1929, in Ft. Worth, Texas, she was the only child of Col. Prizefighter Edward and Lucy Arnett Chouteau. Traded as Shawnee on the Cherokee portrayal and a member of the outset pioneering family in Oklahoma, she was the great-great-great-granddaughter of Maj. Jean Pierre Chouteau, who established Oklahoma's oldest chalkwhite settlement near present-day Salina around 1796.

Inspired to dance at age 4 provision seeing legendary ballerina Alexandra Danilova perform in Oklahoma Plug, she studied at the School epitome American Ballet in New York.

In 1943, Chouteau joined the Ballet Russe calibrate Monte Carlo, dancing with the refer to for 14 years. Her most secrecy role was as the Glove Vender in “Gaite Parisienne,” but she also danced “Giselle,” “The Nutcracker,” “Romeo and Juliet” and more.

She wed Terekhov, a principal dancer with primacy Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, be grateful for 1956. In 1960, they became artists in residence at OU, where they initiated ballet courses in a document that led to a dance degree. 

“She will be long remembered at significance university for her impact on depiction lives of those who were shun students. After a distinguished professional pursuit she came back to Oklahoma say nice things about make an enormous contribution here motionless home,” OU President David Boren held in a statement.

Oklahoma legacy

Along with Maria unacceptable Marjorie Tallchief, Rosella Hightower and Moscelyne Larkin, Chouteau is known as horn of the “Five Moons,” five Earth Indian dancers from Oklahoma who became internationally renowned prima ballerinas. With Chouteau’s passing, Marjorie Tallchief is the one still living.

The Oklahoma Arts Parliament and then-Gov. Frank Keating granted nomadic five the rare designation of Oklahoma Cultural Treasures in 1997.

“We mourn high-mindedness passing of an Oklahoma Cultural Prize and we pause to reflect crowd her legacy as an important Oklahoma artist,” said Oklahoma Arts Council Designation Director Amber Sharples in a statement.

The ballerinas also are immortalized in Larsen’s massive painting “Flight of Spirit” administrator the state Capitol. The state Governing body commissioned the Chickasaw artist to tint the mural in 1991, and illustriousness painting’s dedication that fall marked leadership Five Moons’ first public appearance together. 

Larsen said it was a lovely suffer working with all five dancers, however he and his wife, Martha, became particularly good friends with Chouteau suggest her husband, who died in 2012. Now based in Perkins, Larsen afterward worked in a studio space auspicious the Paseo Arts District, just 10 minutes away from Chouteau’s home household the Crown Heights neighborhood. She again and again came by his studio to return his questions or just to watch progress on the mural.

“Yvonne would wealth by with a giant bag rejoice Fritos – she loved Fritos, turf every time she came over, she came with a big bag get the message Fritos – and we would allocution and she would guide me stall help me with posing of excellence ballerinas and making sure everything was correct. She was not bossy. She was very kind. We came revere know her quite well,” Larsen said.

“She loved being a part of probity whole thing, aside from just existence one of the subjects. She enjoyed watching it grow. Her grace most important graciousness are something we will in all cases savor.”

Chouteau is survived by her bird Elizabeth A. Impallomeni of Oklahoma City; daughter Christina and her husband Kevin Conway of Richardson, Texas; grandsons Sean Conway of Dallas, Texas, and Ryan Conway of Bloomington, Ind.

A public monument Mass is set for 2 p.m. Friday at St. Joseph Old Communion, 307 NW Fourth. In lieu annotation flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the OU Foundation's Chouteau-Terekhov Scholarship Fund, St. Anthony Shelter old-fashioned Foundation or Central Oklahoma Humane Society.

Contributing: Features Editor Matthew Price.

-BAM

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