Dance Master: Agnes de Mille
Growing up the daughter of a Hollywood executive, Agnes de Mille (1905-1993) often loved to watch Hollywood stars on her father’s sets and imitate their motions and movements. When her sister was prescribed ballet classes as a cure for her flat feet, Agnes joined her and her fascination for dance continued to grow. Her family and her teachers weren’t very encouraging of her aspirations to dance professionally, so she studied english at UCLA. Shortly after graduating, though, she could no longer ignore her passion, so she moved to New York to dance and choreograph.
de Mille started her career with the American Ballet Theater (then called Ballet Theater), choreographing and performing for the company. In 1942 she choreographed Rodeo for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, which is still part of their repertoire and performed today. Shortly after the premiere of Rodeo, she was hired to choreograph the musical Oklahoma! in 1943.
What was revolutionary about de Mille’s choreography in Oklahoma! was that she didn’t allow the dances to be a distraction or reprieve from the plot, but rather her choreography enhanced the plot and provided insight into the characters and storyline. This forever changed choreography in musical theater.
de Mille’s success in Oklahoma! propelled her career forward, and she went on to choreograph over a dozen other musicals from 1943-1963. She won the inaugural Tony Award for Best Choreography for her work in Brigadoon in 1947. She also was invited to choreograph the Hollywood film production of Oklahoma! in 1955.
