Long before Cyd Charisse became associated with Hollywood musicals, she was a child in Amarillo taking dance lessons. Born Tula Ellice Finklea, she began ballet after childhood polio, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Training developed into a professional life in dance.
Charisse brought that background to memorable screen partnerships with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Her appearances in the Broadway Melody sequence of Singin' in the Rain and the Girl Hunt Ballet in The Band Wagon remain central to her reputation. She could make movement carry a scene without relying on a long speech.
Her career continued beyond the great MGM musicals into television and stage work. In 2006, she received the National Medal of Arts. The honor recognized decades of performance, but the foundation was less glamorous than an award ceremony: technique learned, practiced and made to appear effortless in front of the camera.