Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre toured the United States
from 1953 to 1954 under the aegis of producer Sol Hurok
. The company offered an overview of Agnes de Mille
's choreography to that date, with the addition of Anna Sokolow
's "Short Lecture & Demonstration on the Evolution of Ragtime" (set to music by Billy Taylor
) and Danny Daniels
's "Razamatazz" (set to music by Jelly Roll Morton
). In addition to several of de Mille's early pieces, the company performed the Bloomer Girl
waltz and ballets based on the original dances for Brigadoon
(Ballad, later reworked as Bitter Weird) and Paint Your Wagon (Gold Rush, televised in 1958 with Gemze de Lappe
, James Mitchell
, and Sono Osato
). There is no known visual record of the full repertory, although archival footage exists of Ballad and the finale, "Hell on Wheels--1863."
There were twenty performers in the company, many of whom had worked for de Mille before. The leads were de Mille favourites James Mitchell
, Gemze de Lappe
, and Lidija Franklin
, with secondary roles taken by Virginia Bosler, tap dancer and choreographer Danny Daniels
, Loren Hightower
, the specialist in Scottish dance James Jamieson
, Bunty Kelley, Casimir Kokic, Evelyn Taylor, and Dusty Worrall. The ensemble and understudies included Edmund Balin, Robert Calder, Eleanor Fairchild, Jean Houloose, Alfa Liepa, Mavis Ray, and Lizanne Truex. Rufus Smith and Raimonda Orselli provided the singing.
In 1974, de Mille revived the company as The Agnes de Mille Heritage Dance Theatre, in association with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1953 to 1954 under the aegis of producer Sol Hurok
Sol Hurok
Sol Hurok was a world-famous 20th century American impresario.-Biography:...
. The company offered an overview of Agnes de Mille
Agnes de Mille
Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMille and her uncle Cecil B. DeMille were both Hollywood directors...
's choreography to that date, with the addition of Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow was a Jewish American dancer and choreographer.-Training:...
's "Short Lecture & Demonstration on the Evolution of Ragtime" (set to music by Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and since 1994, he was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in...
) and Danny Daniels
Danny Daniels
Danny Daniels is an American choreographer, tap dancer, and teacher.Daniels was a featured dancer in several 1940s Broadway musicals, including Billion Dollar Baby, Street Scene, and Kiss Me, Kate; although he continued performing during the 1950s and after, including a tour with the Agnes de Mille...
's "Razamatazz" (set to music by Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
). In addition to several of de Mille's early pieces, the company performed the Bloomer Girl
Bloomer Girl
Bloomer Girl was a Broadway musical that premiered on October 4, 1944. Sig Herzig and Fred Saidy wrote the book, Harold Arlen the music, and E.Y. Harburg the lyrics. Agnes de Mille was the choreographer...
waltz and ballets based on the original dances for Brigadoon
Brigadoon
Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "Almost Like Being in Love" have become standards....
(Ballad, later reworked as Bitter Weird) and Paint Your Wagon (Gold Rush, televised in 1958 with Gemze de Lappe
Gemze de Lappe
Gemze de Lappe is an American dancer who worked very closely with Agnes de Mille and was frequently partnered by de Mille's favorite male dancer, James Mitchell....
, James Mitchell
James Mitchell (actor)
James Mitchell was an American actor and dancer. Although he is best known to television audiences as Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera All My Children , theatre and dance historians remember him as one of Agnes de Mille's leading dancers...
, and Sono Osato
Sono Osato
Sono Osato is an American dancer and actress of half-Japanese, half European descent.Osato began her career at the age of fourteen with the Ballet Russe; she later went on to dance with American Ballet Theatre...
). There is no known visual record of the full repertory, although archival footage exists of Ballad and the finale, "Hell on Wheels--1863."
There were twenty performers in the company, many of whom had worked for de Mille before. The leads were de Mille favourites James Mitchell
James Mitchell
-Arts, entertainment, and sports :*James Mitchell , American actor who played Palmer Cortlandt on All My Children*James Mitchell , American athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics...
, Gemze de Lappe
Gemze de Lappe
Gemze de Lappe is an American dancer who worked very closely with Agnes de Mille and was frequently partnered by de Mille's favorite male dancer, James Mitchell....
, and Lidija Franklin
Lidija Franklin
Lidija Franklin is a dancer and teacher of Latvian descent, originally from the Moscow area. In the United States, she is known primarily for her association with Agnes de Mille.-Performances:...
, with secondary roles taken by Virginia Bosler, tap dancer and choreographer Danny Daniels
Danny Daniels
Danny Daniels is an American choreographer, tap dancer, and teacher.Daniels was a featured dancer in several 1940s Broadway musicals, including Billion Dollar Baby, Street Scene, and Kiss Me, Kate; although he continued performing during the 1950s and after, including a tour with the Agnes de Mille...
, Loren Hightower
Loren Hightower
Loren Hightower is an American dancer who split his performing career between ballet and musical theatre....
, the specialist in Scottish dance James Jamieson
James Jamieson (dancer)
James Jamieson was a specialist in Highland dancing, best remembered for both performing in and restaging Agnes de Mille's Brigadoon....
, Bunty Kelley, Casimir Kokic, Evelyn Taylor, and Dusty Worrall. The ensemble and understudies included Edmund Balin, Robert Calder, Eleanor Fairchild, Jean Houloose, Alfa Liepa, Mavis Ray, and Lizanne Truex. Rufus Smith and Raimonda Orselli provided the singing.
In 1974, de Mille revived the company as The Agnes de Mille Heritage Dance Theatre, in association with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
.
Further reading
- Cadwallader, Eleanor Fairchild. A Pot for Every Lid: Trials, Triumphs, and Survival During the Twentieth Century. Victoria, BC, CA: Trafford, 2005. ISBN 1-4120-4795-1. (Firsthand account of touring with the company.)
- Easton, Carol. No Intermissions: The Life of Agnes de Mille. New York: Da Capo Press, 2000. ISBN 0-306-80975-3.