Cowboys at the Ballet The Story of Choreographer Agnes de Mille

by Bobrow, Claire Wrenn; Urbinati, Ilaria

• ISBN13: 9781665957878
• ISBN10: 1665957875
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2026-03-31
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary

A spirited picture book about the epic struggle and dramatic breakthrough of Agnes de Mille, the legendary choreographer of Oklahoma! and Carousel whose work changed the course of Broadway history.

Something new is about to happen,
something extraordinary.

In a dusty California town, Agnes de Mille dreams of becoming a dancer. She gallops to New York, then London, performing a show here, a dance there, combining old steps with new. But no one knows what to make of Agnes. She’s not a ballet dancer or a modern dancer or a folk dancer. So what is she? Then one summer she attends a rodeo, where the cowboys’ powerful and unbridled movements transform her life—and the history of dance—forever.

Author Biography

Claire Wrenn Bobrow is a writer and bookseller living in San Francisco. She has a background in landscape architecture and a love of the arts. Her interests include attending the ballet and opera, hiking, and planting pollinator-friendly gardens. Claire loves animals of every stripe, and her favorite dessert is a plum galette. Visit her at ClaireWrennBobrow.com.

Ilaria Urbinati is an Italian illustrator, born in Turin and based in Bologna. She began her career as character designer and colorist for animated television series before working as a freelance illustrator creating children’s books, graphic novels, and editorial and commercial illustrations. She has illustrated several picture books including Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit and Cowboys at the Ballet: The Story of Choreographer Agnes de Mille. Ilaria is also a professor teaching illustration, watercolor, and visual development. Visit her at IlariaUrbinati.com.