Cyd Charisse's Chart

American dancer who began her career in ballet with the Ballet Russe. In Hollywood, she married Nico Charisse on 12 August 1939 and they opened a dance school. From 1943 she appeared in small film roles, a number of musicals and frequent dance cameos. As her reputation grew, she was memorable as one of the great dancers in such films as "Brigadoon," 1954 and "Silk Stockings," 1957. Tula Ellice Finklea started ballet lessons at eight in Amarillo, Texas. She became Cyd because her brother could not pronounce Sis. At 13, she began studying with dancer Nico Charisse in Los Angeles, which led to her acceptance in the Ballet Russe. At 17, she married Nico. For several years she danced in Europe until MGM producer Arthur Freed offered her a contract. She worked as a background dancer until 1952 when she starred with Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain." After divorcing Nico in 1944, she played the field for a while, including dates with Howard Hughes, before marrying Tony Martin on 15 May 1948. She had one son with each of her marriages, Nicky on 7 May 1942, and Tony Jr. on 28 August 1950. Musicals went out of style, but Charisse kept busy in other films and performing in clubs with her husband. She maintained her disciplined lifestyle, and by the age of 73 she is still gorgeous and able to kick above her waist during her work-out class a couple times a week. She died on 17 June 2008 in Los Angeles after an apparent heart attack. She was 86.