Agnes de Mille facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agnes de Mille
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Agnes de Mille (1941) playing 'The Priggish Virgin' in the ballet Three Virgins and a Devil (Tre Vergini e un Diavolo)
photographed by Carl Van Vechten |
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| Born |
Agnes George de Mille
September 18, 1905 New York City, New York, US
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| Died | October 7, 1993 (aged 88) New York City, New York, US
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| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 1910s–1990s |
| Spouse(s) |
Walter Prude
(m. 1943) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Awards |
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Agnes George de Mille (born September 18, 1905 – died October 7, 1993) was an American dancer and choreographer. She was famous for creating dances for ballets and Broadway musicals. Her work changed how dance was used in musicals, making it a key part of the story.
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Early Life and First Steps in Dance
Agnes de Mille was born in New York City. She came from a family deeply involved in theater and movies. Her father, William C. deMille, and her uncle, Cecil B. DeMille, were both famous Hollywood directors. Her mother, Anna Angela George, was the daughter of Henry George, a well-known economist.
Agnes first wanted to be an actress. However, she was told she didn't have the typical look for actresses at the time. So, she decided to focus on dance instead. As a child, she loved to dance, but her parents didn't see it as a serious career. They thought it was more of a hobby.
She didn't seriously think about dance as a job until after college. When her younger sister started ballet classes for flat feet, Agnes joined her. Agnes found ballet challenging. She wasn't very flexible and didn't have the "perfect" dancer's body. But she learned a lot by watching film stars on movie sets with her father. This helped her create strong characters in her dances.
One of her first jobs was choreographing a film for her uncle, Cleopatra (1934). However, she didn't get along with the film's main dance director and left the project.
Agnes de Mille studied English at UCLA. After graduating in 1933, she moved to London. There, she studied with Dame Marie Rambert and joined her dance company, Ballet Rambert. She also danced with Antony Tudor's London Ballet.
A Career That Changed Dance
De Mille returned to New York in 1938. Soon after, she started working with the new American Ballet Theatre in 1939. One of her early and very important works was Black Ritual (also called Obeah). She created this 25-minute ballet for the company's "Negro Unit." It featured 16 black female dancers. This was a big moment because it was the first time black dancers were featured in a New York ballet performance by a mostly white company. Even though it was only performed three times, Black Ritual helped change ideas about black dancers in ballet.
Her first widely recognized success was the ballet Rodeo in 1942. The music for Rodeo was written by Aaron Copland. She created this ballet for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. While many of her later ballets are not often performed today, Rodeo is still very popular. Two other ballets, Three Virgins and a Devil (1934) and Fall River Legend (1948), are also performed regularly.
In 1941, de Mille choreographed Drums Sound in Hackensack for the Jooss Ballet. This was important because it was the first time someone other than Kurt Jooss himself choreographed a piece for his company. The dance had an American theme and showed a female point of view, which was common in de Mille's work. It was also one of her first pieces for a large group of dancers.
Revolutionizing Broadway Musicals
After the success of Rodeo, Agnes de Mille was hired to choreograph the musical Oklahoma! in 1943. This was a huge step in her career. She created a "dream ballet" for the show. This ballet was special because it wasn't just a dance break. Instead, it helped tell the story and showed the main character's feelings. This idea of using dance to move the plot forward was new and exciting for musical theater. Oklahoma! became very famous for this innovation and made de Mille a well-known choreographer.
She went on to choreograph many other successful musicals, including:
- Bloomer Girl (1944)
- Carousel (1945)
- Allegro (1947)
- Brigadoon (1947), for which she won the first Tony Award for Best Choreography
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949)
- Paint Your Wagon (1951)
- 110 in the Shade (1963)
De Mille's dances for these musicals often showed the emotions and challenges of the characters, especially during times like World War II.
Her success on Broadway didn't quite carry over to films. Her only major film credit was for Oklahoma! (1955). However, she created two important TV specials for the Omnibus series in 1956. These specials, "The Art of Ballet" and "The Art of Choreography," helped bring serious dance to a wider audience.
Agnes de Mille's love for acting greatly influenced her choreography. She believed that dance should show the characters' feelings and help tell the story, not just be about perfect physical moves.
She often worked with the same group of talented dancers, like Virginia Bosler, Gemze de Lappe, and James Mitchell.
In 1973, de Mille started the Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre. She later brought it back as the Heritage Dance Theatre.
Agnes de Mille also became a strong voice for dance in America. She spoke to the United States Congress three times, asking for more support for the arts. She was also part of the National Advisory Committee on the Arts, which later became the National Endowment for the Arts.
She was interviewed for the TV series Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film (1980), where she talked about her uncle, Cecil B. DeMille.
Writings
Agnes de Mille was also a talented writer. Her memoir, Dance to the Piper, was published in 1951 and translated into five languages. It shared her experiences as a dancer and choreographer.
She was a lifelong friend of modern dance pioneer Martha Graham. De Mille spent over 30 years working on a biography of Graham, which was published in 1992, called Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham.
After suffering a stroke in 1975, she wrote several more books, including Reprieve (about her recovery), Who Was Henry George?, Where the Wings Grow, America Dances, and Portrait Gallery. Other books she wrote include And Promenade Home, To a Young Dancer, and The Book of Dance.
Personal Life
Agnes de Mille married Walter Prude on June 14, 1943. They had one son, Jonathan, who was born in 1946.
Her personal papers, including letters and notes about her life and work, are kept at the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College.
Agnes de Mille suffered a stroke on stage in 1975 but was able to recover. She passed away in 1993 from a second stroke in her home in New York City.
Legacy
Agnes de Mille left a lasting mark on the world of dance and theater. She was honored with many awards for her contributions. In 1973, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Some of her other important awards include:
- The Tony Award for Best Choreography for Brigadoon (1947)
- The Handel Medallion for achievement in the arts (1976)
- An honor from the Kennedy Center Honors (1980)
- An Emmy Award for her TV work (1980)
- The Drama Desk Special Award (1986)
- The National Medal of Arts (1986)
She also received seven honorary degrees from different universities. In 2004, she was featured on a U.S. postage stamp, showing her importance to American culture.
Today, you can still see her famous choreography in parts of Rodeo performed by the American Ballet Theatre, Fall River Legend, and the musical Oklahoma!.
See also
In Spanish: Agnes De Mille para niños
