Rosella Hightower, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma who rose to fame as a ballerina, died in France on Tuesday. She was 88.

Hightower was one of five Indian ballerinas from Oklahoma who made a significant mark on the dance. She won praise for her performances in the “Nutcracker, "Rondo Capriccioso,” "Swan Lake,” and "Giselle," the latter of which she learned in just five hours after the star fell ill on opening night.

"Here, assuredly, is an American ballerina in the full sense of the term," The New York Times said in a review of her 1943 role in the "Nutcracker."

Hightower joined dance groups in Europe and the United States and later founded the Centre de Danse Classique in France, one of the world's leading ballet schools.

Get the Story:
Rosella Hightower, American Indian ballerina from Oklahoma, dies at 88 in France (The Oklahoman 11/6)
Star US-French ballerina Rosella Hightower dies aged 88 (AFP 11/6)
Rosella Hightower, Prima Ballerina and School Founder, Is Dead at 88 (The New York Times 11/5)