THE ARTS

De Mille on the Arts: Famed choreographer Agnes de Mille gave a ringing endorsement of the arts when she accepted the American Ballet Theatre’s first American Treasure Award, presented at a luncheon at the Metropolitan Opera. “The arts teach us what we are, why we are and how we are,” she said. “They appeal to our minds and our hearts. Buying hats or bonds does not educate our minds and hearts. Art does. It teaches us what truth and beauty are.” De Mille also said that dancing is a lot like chicken pox. It usually hits people when they’re young, and while it’s rarely fatal, it’s not something one gets over easily.