CANNES, France, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Ballerina Rosella Hightower, known for her varied and versatile repertoire, has died in Cannes, France, at the age of 88, the Los Angeles Times said.
The U.S. newspaper noted Sunday the native American dancer, who was born in Oklahoma, gained worldwide fame after performing with notable ballet dancers as Eric Bruhn and Andre Eglevsky.
After becoming one of the world's elite dancers, Hightower worked with Marquis George de Cuevas ballet company, the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas.
She parlayed her fame with the noted company to create her own dance school after Cuevas' death in 1961.
Sylvia Fawlofski, a former pupil of Hightower's, told the Times the U.S. dancer was a strict, yet fun, teacher who had a unique eye for talent.
"Once in a blue moon, she would appear and give us a fun class with high kicks, jazzy arrangements and spirited footwork. At the end she would tell us: 'Now you are ready to go dance on Broadway,'" Fawlofski said.
The Times said survivors of the twice-married Hightower, who died Monday after suffering a series of strokes, include her daughter, dancer Dominique Monet Robier.
