Friday 4 July 2008

Dance legend Cyd Charisse dies, 87

The death has taken place of the American dancer and actress Cyd Charisse. She was 87.
The Broadway star's agent, Scott Stander, said she died yesterday morning of a heart attack at a Los Angeles-area hospital.
Charisse was famous for her dance pairings with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and she was best known for her roles in 'Singin' in the Rain' and 'Brigadoon'. 
Publicist Gene Schwam told Reuters that Charisse had only recently celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary with her second husband, singer Tony Martin.
Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, and took her stage surname from her first husband, ballet instructor Nico Charisse.
Her childhood nickname was 'Sid', which became 'Cyd' for her professional name.