Cowboys at the Ballet

The Story of Choreographer Agnes de Mille

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

(Simon & Schuster)

(pub. 3.31.2026)

48 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Claire Wrenn Bobrow

   Illustrator: Ilaria Urbinati

Character: Agnes de Mille

Overview:

"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."

Tantalizing taste:

"Then one summer, while visiting Colorado,

Agnes attends a rodeo.

The cowboys fascinate her, how they ride and rope.

She studies their movements,

feels their power, strength, and nerve.

It's almost like dancing.

And they remind her of home...

of ocean breezes and orange groves,

sagebrush and sky,

of wide-open spaces and limitless potential."

And something more: Claire Wrenn Bobrow shared in the Author's Note: Agnes's "legendary contributions to the world of dance and choreography finally took flight when she was thirty-seven years old at the premier of Rodeo on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Agnes herself danced the lead role of the Cowgirl. And after the last whoopin', stompin' footfall, the cast received a astonishing twenty-two curtain calls. It was a smash hit! After years of struggle, Agnes had finally made her mark and started a revolution along the way - in ballet, Broadway musicals, and beyond."