"She personified dancing sophistication"

Sad news, indeed. Cyd Charisse, darling of the dance musical, is dead.

Born Tula Ellice Finklea in 1922, the exotically-renamed Cyd Charisse was a trained and skilled ballet dancer, and toured with the Ballet Russe in the 1930s.

But it was her emergence onto the silver screen, as dance partner of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, that made Charisse such a stunning star. With those incredible legs (reputedly and famously insured for $5million), to many she was Fred's best pairing, and her effortless grace and athleticism made every routine a magical experience - not least as the star of Silk Stockings, and as lead female dancer in Singing in the Rain.

Here are a couple of magical scenes for which she will be forever remembered. There will never be another Cyd Charisse...!

Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse - Dancing in the Dark

Cyd Charisse - Frankie and Johnny (from Meet Me In Las Vegas)

Cyd Charisse obituary, LA Times