The Osage ballet, Wahzhazhe, brings together unique and diverse qualities of our region’s 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.

The ballet takes audiences through the story of the Osage, beginning with pre-Columbian times in Missouri, progressing through changes that occurred after contact with Europeans, and ending with a depiction of a strong, courageous, and surviving people who have learned to walk in two worlds.  The creative set designs transform the stage into accurate depictions of Osage lifestyles, and the costumes are created to appear as the traditional tribal clothing that was worn during the past 200 years.

This performance will be presented in collaboration with the Osage Trail Legacy Project and the dedication of the Osage Trail monument in Cuba, Missouri.

This performance is sponsored by Phelps County Bank, Sunny 104.5, Bott Radio Network, Dennis and Kim Roedemeier, St. James Winery, and Best Western.