Also in 1946, Balanchine joined with arts patron Lincoln Kirstein to establish the Ballet Society, a direct forerunner to the New York City Ballet.
Tallchief had six months remaining on her contract with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, so stayed with the company until 1947.
When her contract expired, she joined Balanchine who was in France as guest choreographer at the Paris Opera Ballet.
He has been called upon to "save" the famous troupe, but not everyone appreciated his presence.
A group of supporters of Serge Lifar, who was on leave while accusations of aiding the Nazis during World War II were investigated, led a vocal campaign to get rid of Balanchine.
Spectateur and Les Arts joined in, publishing articles attacking Balanchine personally.
He ignored the company's hierarchy, further angering some dancers.

When Tallchief arrived, she was put to work immediately with roles in Le baiser de la fée and Apollo.
Another dancer pulled out of Apollo shortly before opening night, forcing Tallchief to learn more difficult role on short notice.
 In spite of all the difficulties, opening night was a huge success.
 The French press was fascinated by Tallchief's dancing, and even more so her background. "
Peau Rouge danse a l'Opera pour le Roi de Suede" [Redskin dances at the Opera for the King of Sweden], read a front-page headline. "
La Fille du grand chef Indien danse a l'Opera" [The daughter of the great Indian chief dances at the Opera], read another.
Her colleagues never appreciated Tallchief's presence, but French audiences loved her.
After six months in Paris, Tallchief and Balanchine returned to New York.
 During her time in Paris, Tallchief became the first American to perform with the Paris Opera Ballet.

When the couple returned to the states, Tallchief quickly became one of the first stars, and first prima ballerina, of the New York City Ballet, which opened in October 1948.
Balanchine "revolutionized ballet" by creating roles that demanded athleticism, speed, and aggressive dancing like nothing before.
Tallchief was well suited for Balanchine's vision. "
I always thought Balanchine was more of a musician even than a choreographer, and perhaps that’s why he and I connected," Tallchief recalled.
He created many roles specifically for Tallchief, including the lead of "The Firebird" in 1949.
Of her "Firebird" debut, Kirstein wrote "Maria Tallchief made an electrifying appearance, emerging as the nearest approximation to a prima ballerina that we had yet enjoyed."
The role created a sensation and launched her to the top of the ballet world, granting her the prima ballerina title.
Noting the great technical difficulty of the role, The New York Times critic John Martin wrote that Tallchief was asked "to do everything except spin on her head, and she does it with complete and incomparable brilliance."

Tallchief's popularity help grow the fledgeling dance company and she was asked to perform as many as eight times a week.
 In 1954, Tallchief was given the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in Balanchine's newly reworked version of The Nutcracker, then an obscure ballet.
Her performance of the role helped transform the work into an annual Christmas classic, and the industry's most reliable box-office draw.
Critic Walter Terry remarked "Maria Tallchief, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, is herself a creature of magic, dancing the seemingly impossible with effortless beauty of movement, electrifying us with her brilliance, enchanting us with her radiance of being.
Does she have any equals anywhere, inside or outside of fairyland?
While watching her in The Nutcracker, one is tempted to doubt it."

Other notable roles Tall Chief created under Balanchine include the Swan Queen in Balanchine's version of Swan Lake and Eurydice in Orpheus.
She created the lead role of "Prodigal Son," "Jones Beach," "A La Françaix," and plotless works such as "Sylvia Pas de Deux," "Allegro Brillante," "Pas de Dix," and "Symphony in C." Her fiery, athletic performances helped establish Balanchine as the era's most prominent and influential choreographer.

Tallchief remained with
Also in 1946, Balanchine joined with arts patron Lincoln Kirstein to establish the Ballet Society, a direct forerunner to the New York City Ballet. Tallchief had six months remaining on her contract with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, so stayed with the company until 1947. When her contract expired, she joined Balanchine who was in France as guest choreographer at the Paris Opera Ballet. He has been called upon to "save" the famous troupe, but not everyone appreciated his presence. A group of supporters of Serge Lifar, who was on leave while accusations of aiding the Nazis during World War II were investigated, led a vocal campaign to get rid of Balanchine. Spectateur and Les Arts joined in, publishing articles attacking Balanchine personally. He ignored the company's hierarchy, further angering some dancers.
When Tallchief arrived, she was put to work immediately with roles in Le baiser de la fée and Apollo. Another dancer pulled out of Apollo shortly before opening night, forcing Tallchief to learn more difficult role on short notice.  In spite of all the difficulties, opening night was a huge success.  The French press was fascinated by Tallchief's dancing, and even more so her background. "Peau Rouge danse a l'Opera pour le Roi de Suede" [Redskin dances at the Opera for the King of Sweden], read a front-page headline. "La Fille du grand chef Indien danse a l'Opera" [The daughter of the great Indian chief dances at the Opera], read another. Her colleagues never appreciated Tallchief's presence, but French audiences loved her. After six months in Paris, Tallchief and Balanchine returned to New York.  During her time in Paris, Tallchief became the first American to perform with the Paris Opera Ballet.
When the couple returned to the states, Tallchief quickly became one of the first stars, and first prima ballerina, of the New York City Ballet, which opened in October 1948. Balanchine "revolutionized ballet" by creating roles that demanded athleticism, speed, and aggressive dancing like nothing before. Tallchief was well suited for Balanchine's vision. "I always thought Balanchine was more of a musician even than a choreographer, and perhaps that’s why he and I connected," Tallchief recalled. He created many roles specifically for Tallchief, including the lead of "The Firebird" in 1949. Of her "Firebird" debut, Kirstein wrote "Maria Tallchief made an electrifying appearance, emerging as the nearest approximation to a prima ballerina that we had yet enjoyed." The role created a sensation and launched her to the top of the ballet world, granting her the prima ballerina title. Noting the great technical difficulty of the role, The New York Times critic John Martin wrote that Tallchief was asked "to do everything except spin on her head, and she does it with complete and incomparable brilliance."
Tallchief's popularity help grow the fledgeling dance company and she was asked to perform as many as eight times a week.  In 1954, Tallchief was given the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in Balanchine's newly reworked version of The Nutcracker, then an obscure ballet. Her performance of the role helped transform the work into an annual Christmas classic, and the industry's most reliable box-office draw. Critic Walter Terry remarked "Maria Tallchief, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, is herself a creature of magic, dancing the seemingly impossible with effortless beauty of movement, electrifying us with her brilliance, enchanting us with her radiance of being. Does she have any equals anywhere, inside or outside of fairyland? While watching her in The Nutcracker, one is tempted to doubt it."
Other notable roles Tall Chief created under Balanchine include the Swan Queen in Balanchine's version of Swan Lake and Eurydice in Orpheus. She created the lead role of "Prodigal Son," "Jones Beach," "A La Françaix," and plotless works such as "Sylvia Pas de Deux," "Allegro Brillante," "Pas de Dix," and "Symphony in C." Her fiery, athletic performances helped establish Balanchine as the era's most prominent and influential choreographer.
Tallchief remained with 
Maria Tallchief