AGNES DE MILLE, CHOREOGRAPHER

The choreographer for such durable Broadway musicals as ``Brigadoon,'' ``Carousel,'' and ``Oklahoma,'' carved a lasting place for herself in the history of American dance. Before Agnes de Mille came on the musical-theater scene, dances were merely interludes between acts. She raised the level of choreography to explore and reveal character.

Miss de Mille, who died Oct. 7, considered herself a visual storyteller. Although some critics accused her of idealizing history, her work celebrated Americana, as in ``Rodeo'' (1942) in which she danced the lead cowgirl.