Background
Mara was born in Chicago in 1911.
Mara was born in Chicago in 1911.
After beginning her performance career in Chicago, Mara traveled to Paris in 1927. After living in New York in the 1960s, Mara moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where she helped found the United States of America International Ballet Competition. She authored eleven books on ballet, as well as founded the Thalia Mara Arts International Foundation.
In recognition of her contributions, in 1994 the Jackson, Mississippi Municipal Auditorium was renamed Thalia Mara Hall.
Another performance space, the Thalia Hall in the Pilsen Historic District located at 18th Street and Allport Street on Chicago"s Lower West Side is also named for her.