Moscelyne Larkin
| Moscelyne Larkin | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Edna Moscelyne Larkin January 14, 1925 Miami, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 2012 (aged 87) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Residence | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Ballerina |
| Years active | 1941–1954 |
| Home town | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Roman Jasinski (1943–1991); (his death) |
| Children | Roman Larkin Jasinski |
Edna Moscelyne Larkin Jasinski (January 14, 1925 – April 25, 2012) was one of the "Five Moons", Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma who gained international fame in the 20th century. After dancing with the Original Ballet Russe and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, she and her husband settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where in 1956 they founded the Tulsa Ballet and its associated school. It became a major regional company in the American Southwest and made its New York City debut in 1983. She is portrayed in the mural Flight of Spirit displayed in the Rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol building.
Edna Moscelyne Larkin was born in Miami, Oklahoma in 1925, the only daughter of Eva Matlagova-Larkin, a young dancer from Russia, and Ruben Larkin, a Shawnee-Peoria Indian. Her mother trained her in ballet until the girl was old enough to move to New York City to further her studies. There she studied under Vincenzo Celli, Mikhail Mordkin, and Anatole Vilzak-Shollar.
In 1941, at age 15, Larkin joined Colonel Wassily de Basil's Original Ballet Russe. She performed with the company in Europe and the Americas. While dancing with the company, Larkin met her future husband Roman Jasinski, a premier danseur from Poland.
In 1948, she achieved the rank of ballerina; she and her husband had both moved to the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, directed by Serge Denham.Radio City Music Hall often showcased her as a prima ballerina. In 1954 Larkin toured Asia, performing in Alexandra Danilova's "Great Movements in Dance". She excelled in comical roles as a soubrette. She played the can-can dancer in Gaîté Parisienne. Agnes de Mille, the choreographer and dancer, admired Larkin's performance as the Cowgirl in Aaron Copland's Rodeo, a role which was premiered by de Mille.
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