Full name, Agnes George de Mille Prude; born in 1905 in New York, NY; died October 7, 1993, in New York, NY. Choreographer, dancer, and author. Although best known for her work on the play Oklahoma!, de Mille had a lengthy career choreographing other musicals such as Carousel, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, andPaint Your Wagon. The winner of Antoinette Perry Awards for her choreographyof Brigadoon and Kwamina, de Mille was known for her innovative fusion of modern and classical dance techniques, particularly folk and ballet. Although deMille began her career as a dancer and toured with companies from 1928 to 1942, she also began choreographing productions during this time. The niece offilm director Cecil B. de Mille, she both developed and performed dances forThe Black Crook in 1929, and in 1942 she received much recognition for her work on the ballet Rodeo. Though she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1975 anda heart attack the next year, de Mille continued her work on stage and as awriter. She created dances for the ballets The Informer and The Other, whichwere performed by the American Ballet Theater in 1988 and 1992, respectively,and she published autobiographies, including Where the Wings Grow: A Memoirof Childhood in 1978, and Reprieve: A Memoir in 1981. Her other books includeTo a Young Dancer: A Handbook and America Dances.
BOOKS
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