De Mille, Agnes (1905-1993), was an American choreographer (creator of dances), dancer, and author. She began her career as a dancer in 1929 and gave concerts in the United States and Europe until 1940. She then began creating ballets based on American themes. The first was Rodeo (1942). In 1943, she created and staged the dances for the musical play Oklahoma! This landmark musical was one of the first to successfully blend dancing, story, and music into a unified work. Many of her ballets are regularly performed by the American Ballet Theatre, including Fall River Legend (1948).
Agnes George de Mille was born on Sept. 18, 1905, in New York City. She wrote the autobiographies Dance to the Piper (1952), And Promenade Home (1958), and Where the Wings Grow (1978). She also wrote Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham (1991). De Mille died on Oct. 6, 1993. She was the niece of American motion-picture director Cecil B. DeMille.
