Choctaw ballerina dies in Cannes

Remembering Choctaw Ballerina Rosella HightowerHightower had traveled to France in 1937 and eventually became a member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where Tallchief also danced for a time.

In 1947, Hightower joined de Cuevas Ballet, named for the Chilean-born Marquis George de Cuevas. She also was involved with the Marseilles Ballet, La Scala Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet.

Hightower opened the Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes in 1962, and it became one of Europe's leading ballet schools. Cannes Mayor Bertrand Brochand said she "left her mark on her time and on generations of dancers."

In 1997, the five Indian ballerinas were reunited when they were proclaimed as official Oklahoma treasures. The others were Tallchief; her sister, Marjorie Tallchief; Moscelyne Larkin; and Yvonne Chouteau.