Marjorie Tallchief No. 04 [April 28, 1987]

V.2011-05-0604

April 28 1987

Q: You were introducing Ruth and André?
A: We introduced them in Paris, I think, because André had worked with my husband before, and he had known him very well. Ruth and Tom came to Paris, and I think that's when Ruth first met André. We introduced them.
Q: She met him then. That was 1961, and she was looking for someone to do costumes and scenery for her Fledermaus.
A: That was it. That's why my husband probably introduced them because André had done for us before.
Q: Marquis de Cuevas. He had done a great deal of work for him.
A: Oh, yes. Quite a few.
Q: Do you see Ruth and André now?
A: I saw them last summer, yes.
Q: It seems as though it's a very devoted, kind of good relationship. Over the years when she would be struggling to do various different things -- I've read diaries and letters -- it seems as though André really was her best friend. He's been a very good friend of hers. Is he still a friend of yours or close at all?
A: Not that close. It's difficult because he was living in Paris, actually. But now I think he does live in Chicago.
Q: Yes, he does, now that he and Ruth are married. He's here a good deal of the time, although not completely throughout the year because the winters are hard for him, and he needs to . . . .
A: It's hard for everybody.
Q: That's true, although this winter hasn't been bad.
A: This winter's been great, yes. We can't complain this winter.
Q: Marjorie, when you stopped dancing was that difficult? You were around the company at the time that Ruth stopped dancing. Actually, she got a bad review in San Francisco and, although she never admitted that that was the reason why, she decided to stop dancing. It seems to me that it's very difficult for a ballerina to stop dancing. Was it hard for you?
A: We were living in Dallas, and it just sort of happened, naturally. It's not easy to stop, but it's just that I performed so little there that eventually it's almost impossible to perform unless you perform all of the time at a certain age. If you keep performing, then somehow you can go on, but if you stop and then work every six months, it's almost impossible. This is really why I stopped.
Q: Your husband was a very fine choreographer. You've worked with choreographers. You, yourself, have never had any notion of . . . ?
A: No. He choreographed; I danced.
Q: Can you remember any anecdotes about your time working with Ruth, any things about Ruth that were sort of favorite stories that will . . . .
A: Oh, it's difficult. I'm sure so many people have them. I'm not very good at remembering stories.
Q: Well, you did tell us that good one about her not permitting you to dance. She did love to dance, and it seems to me that it must have been . . . .
A: Oh, Ruth adored it. She still takes classes, doesn't she?
Q: Yes. Do you?
A: No, I give classes. I don't take them, though.
Q: My standard last question: Is there anything that I haven't asked you that you would like to tell me about?
A: No. I think that covers about everything.
Q: Okay. Then thank you.

4m 30s

Color

Stereo

1/1

English

Yes

Cassette Tape ➜ Betacam ➜ 20 min.

Interview