Agnes George De Mille American dancer and choreographer Date of Birth: 18.09.1905 Country: USA

1. Biography of Agnes George de Mille
2. Early Life and Love for Dance
3. Early Career and Choreography
4. Success and Legacy

Biography of Agnes George de Mille

Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer. She was born on September 18, 1905, in New York City, into a family of theater professionals with strong connections. Her father, William C. deMille and her uncle, Cecil B. DeMille, were Hollywood directors. Her grandfather was the famous economist and publicist Henry George, and her paternal grandmother, Beatrice DeMille, was one of the first American female playwrights.

Early Life and Love for Dance

Agnes de Mille's love for the theater was evident from a young age, although she initially wanted to become an actress. However, someone told her that she was not pretty enough for acting and suggested she focus on dance instead. While her parents initially didn't allow her to attend a dance school, Agnes was fortunate that her younger sister was prescribed ballet lessons for flat feet. She was eventually allowed to join her sister, despite lacking flexibility, technique, and the body of a classical dancer. Agnes taught herself by watching movie stars on Hollywood sets, where she often accompanied her father. Her lack of physical attributes was compensated by her strong character and captivating performances.

Early Career and Choreography

Agnes de Mille's early career included choreographing the dance sequences in the film "Cleopatra" in 1934, although her dances were ultimately cut during the final editing. Her first and only acting appearance was in the silent drama "The Ragamuffin" in 1916. She later graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and became a member of the women's student society 'Kappa Alpha Theta'. In 1933, she moved to London to study under Marie Rambert and eventually joined Rambert's companies, such as 'The Ballet Club', later known as 'Ballet Rambert', and 'Antony Tudor's London Ballet'.

Success and Legacy

Agnes de Mille began working with the newly formed American Ballet Theatre in 1939, but her first significant work, "Rodeo," set to music by Aaron Copland, was created for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1942. Although de Mille continued to choreograph until her death, most of her later works have disappeared from the ballet repertoire. Apart from "Rodeo," only two other de Mille ballets, "Three Virgins and a Devil" from 1934 and "Fall River Legend" from 1948, are regularly performed.

Her success with "Rodeo" led to her invitation to choreograph the musical "Oklahoma!" in 1943, followed by two dozen other Broadway productions, including "Carousel," "Brigadoon," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," and "Paint Your Wagon." However, while she achieved success on Broadway, her career in Hollywood was limited to choreographing only a few films.

In 1953, de Mille founded the Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre, later revived as the Heritage Dance Theatre. She married Walter Prude in 1943, and they had a son named Jonathan in 1946. Their marriage lasted until Walter's death in 1988. Agnes de Mille suffered a stroke in 1975 but recovered. She passed away on October 7, 1993, due to complications from a second stroke at her home in Greenwich Village, New York City. Among her numerous awards, she won two Tony Awards for Best Choreography for "Brigadoon" in 1947 and "Kwamina" in 1962.