4to. (179), (1) pp. Text by LeRoy Leatherman and illustrated with photographs by Martha Swope. Inscribed by Martha Graham to her biographer and fellow dancer, Agnes de Mille, on title-page. Additionally inscribed by Lee and Swope on Dedication page. Publisher's brown cloth, stamped in gilt; in publisher's worn dust-jacket. An extraordinary association copy from the library of Graham's longtime friend, contemporary, and biographer, Agnes de Mille (1905-1993).

Although both her father and uncle were directors in Hollywood, Agnes de Mille's success was based on the Broadway stage.  Initially a choreographer of modern ballet, with works for the American Ballet and the Kurt Jooss Ballet exiled from Germany, she was hired to choreograph the dance routines of Oklahoma! in 1943.  "The dream ballet, in which dancers doubled for the leading actors, successfully integrated dance into the musical's plot.  Instead of functioning as an interlude or divertissement, the ballet provided key insights into the heroine's emotional troubles.  This performance is just one example of how de Mille brought new ideas to the performing arts industry.  Through her production of Oklahoma!, she integrated dance into musical theater as a way of enhancing the original musical. This production is widely known for this innovative idea and is credited for starting de Mille’s fame as a choreographer, both for Broadway and in the dance industry.  De Mille went on to choreograph over a dozen other musicals."