Agnes de Mille was an American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. She was born on September 18, 1905 in New York City to mother Ruth Hale and father William de Mille, a playwright and Hollywood director. She was raised in a creative household, with her parents and two siblings, and exposed to the performing arts at an early age.
In 1919, de Mille began her formal dance training with modern dance pioneer, Ted Shawn. She also studied ballet under Anna Pavlova, Adolph Bolm, and Mikhail Mordkin. She made her professional debut in 1924, performing with the Mordkin Ballet Company.
De Mille's choreographic career began in 1935 with a work for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. After choreographing for the Ballet Russe, she moved to Broadway where she created some of her most famous works. Her first Broadway hit was "Rodeo" in 1942, which she choreographed for the Ballet Russe. Other Broadway successes included choreography for "Oklahoma!" in 1943, "Carousel" in 1945, and "Brigadoon" in 1947. She was the first choreographer to use American themes and modern dance in her works, which earned her critical acclaim.
In addition to her work on Broadway, de Mille also choreographed ballets for the American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet, and the New York City Ballet. Her works for the New York City Ballet included "Three Virgins and a Devil" in 1941, "Fall River Legend" in 1948, and "The Four Marys" in 1956.
De Mille also worked extensively in film and television. She choreographed for the musical films "Something to Shout About" (1943), "Carmen Jones" (1954), and "Gigi" (1958). She also directed and choreographed the film adaptation of "Oklahoma!" in 1955. She was also the choreographer for the television series "An American in Paris" (1957).
De Mille was the recipient of numerous awards, including a Tony Award for "Brigadoon" (1947) and a New York Drama Critics Circle Award for "Carousel" (1945). She was also the first female director of a major Broadway production with "The Great Waltz" in 1972.
De Mille died on October 7, 1993 in New York City at the age of 88. She
