"The world will miss her dancing"

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charisse


On Monday, the musical star Cyd Charisse died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering an apparent heart attack. She sang and danced with legends such as Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain and Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings. Said Fred Astaire, "When we were dancing, we didn't know what time it was." The abundance of talent that she brought to the table was enough to make her an essential part of the golden age of Technicolor musicals.


Charisse was born in 1921 as Tula Ellice Finklea, and started dancing when she was a teenager. She appeared in her first Hollywood film in 1943, as a ballet dancer in the musical Something to Shout About. MGM decided to give her a seven-year contract and change the spelling of her childhood nickname, Sid, to "Cyd."


In addition to Singin' in the Rain and Silk Stockings (her favorite film), Charisse appeared in Brigadoon, The Band Wagon, The Unfinished Dance, Words and Music, It's Always Fair Weather, and Invitation to the Dance. In 1992, at the age of 70, she made her Broadway debut in the musical Grand Hotel, reprising Greta Garbo's role, and continued to appear on screen in small TV roles.


Astaire would later describe Charisse as "beautiful dynamite." Her beauty and exceptional training made her a strong performer in the film, television, and live musical businesses. She will be missed, but always remembered for her considerable contributions to the performing arts.

By Myrna Conn on June 19, 2008 7:09 PM | | Comments (0)


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