The Osage ballet, Wahzhazhe, is a contemporary ballet that brings together unique and diverse qualities of Oklahoma history and culture: a reverence for classical ballet that was the legacy of two famous Osage ballerinas, Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, and the richness of Osage traditional music, dance, and textile arts. We will be using both classical and traditional music with Osage drums to replicate a part of Osage history through the use of traditional drums, regalia, dance, and music. The creative set designs will transform the stage into accurate depictions of Osage lifestyles and the costumes will be created to appear as the traditional tribal clothing that was worn during the past 200 years. With this multicultural effort we hope to stimulate a renewed interest in Osage culture in what we feel will serve as an effective and unique educational tool for many youth across America.
