Cyd Charisse wasn’t born a Hollywood goddess. She entered the world in Amarillo, Texas, in 1922 as Tula Ellice Finklea—a child weakened by polio before age six. Doctors prescribed ballet to rebuild her strength.
They couldn’t have known those careful exercises would launch one of cinema’s most unforgettable dancers. “Cyd” came from her brother’s lisped “Sis,” and the name stuck as she transformed from frail girl to magnetic performer.
