80 years after her 1942 debut with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Maria Tallchief

continues to make change.

We're very proud to learn of the founding NYCB Principal Dancer's well-deserved inclusion in the group of five extraordinary women who will be honored with their own U.S. quarter next year.

The limited minting is part of a five-year program that began this year, conceived to uplift the stories of women who have left indelible imprints on America's history. A proud and vocal member of the Osage Nation, Tallchief made groundbreaking strides as both the first American to perform with the Paris Opera Ballet and the first to earn the title of prima ballerina.