Yvonne Chouteau Terekhov

Passed January 24, 2016 at age 86 in Oklahoma City following a long illness. She was born Myra Yvonne Chouteau on March 7, 1929 in Ft. Worth, Texas to Corbett Edward Chouteau and Lucy Annette (Taylor) Chouteau, who preceded her in death. She appreciated being honored by many titles over the course of her life, yet she confided that her favorite names were "Mama" and "Granny." Yvonne will forever be deeply loved by her family. Listed as a Shawnee on the Cherokee role, and a member of the oldest pioneering family in Oklahoma, she is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Maj. Jean Pierre Chouteau, who established Oklahoma's oldest white settlement, circa 1796, at the present site of Salina, Oklahoma. Yvonne had a distinguished career as a dancer and leader in the international, U.S. and Oklahoma arts communities. While highly esteemed as a ballerina, she was also a beloved teacher and mentor to generations of dance students. In 1956, she married Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo principal dancer Miguel R. Terekhov, who preceded her in death in January 2012. Together they founded in 1963 one of the first fully accredited and top-ranked dance departments in the United States at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. They also founded the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet, precursor to the Oklahoma City Ballet. Yvonne was the youngest dancer in history to turn professional, at age 14, joining the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She worked with leading master choreographers in many prominent dance roles during her artistic performance career. Her numerous honors and awards include being inducted as the youngest member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at age 18 and listed in the International Who's Who. Yvonne is portrayed among Oklahoma's celebrated Five Native American Ballerinas in the mural Flight of Spirit, by Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen in the Oklahoma Capitol Rotunda. She is also depicted in The Five Moons, a set of bronze sculptures by artist Gary Henson on the lawn of the Tulsa Historical Society. In 1997, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating designated her an Oklahoma Treasure. In 2004, she was among those honored with the inaugural National Cultural Treasures Award at the opening of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. Her great loves were family, her Catholic faith, God's creation and creatures, and the State of Oklahoma. She served as a long-time volunteer at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City and had a special life-long joy in raising dogs. She is survived by daughter Elizabeth A. Impallomeni of Oklahoma City, OK; daughter Christina and her husband Kevin Conway of Richardson, TX; grandsons Sean Conway of Dallas, TX; and Ryan Conway of Bloomington, IN. She will be greatly missed, and forever remembered, as a very loving and generous daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to many. Some people make a difference in our world just being who they are. Yvonne was one of those people. May her spirit continue to shine, soar and inspire all blessed to share her circle of life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the following: The OU Foundation's Chouteau-Terekhov Scholarship Fund; send to OU School of Dance, 560 Parrington Oval, Room 1000, Norman, OK 73109-0319; Attention: Mary Margaret Holt, Director. St. Anthony Hospital Foundation, 601 NW 11th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73103. The Central Oklahoma Humane Society, 9300 N. May Avenue, Suite 400-281, Oklahoma City, OK 73120. A private family graveside ceremony will be held in Oklahoma City. A public Memorial Mass of Christian Burial in celebration of Yvonne's life will be held at 2:00pm Friday, January 29th at St. Joseph Old Cathedral (307 NW 4th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73102). Source material referenced includes: Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Arts Council, NewsOK.