Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died Tuesday, June 17, 2008. She was 86. Charisse had been admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, her publicist, Gene Schwam said.

. In this undated file photo, Fred Astaire, right, and Cyd Charisse dance in the 1953 film "The Band Wagon". Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly — AP

Fred Astaire, right, and Cyd Charisse dance in the 1953 film "The Band Wagon." Charisse appeared in her first film, "Something to Shout About" in 1943. She also appeared in dramatic films, but her fame came from the Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse (l-r) in scene from movie "The Band Wagon" — AP

Charisse and Fred Astaire in a scene from the 1953 film "The Band Wagon". Charisse also appeared with Astaire in "Ziegfeld Follies" in 1946. Classically trained, she could dance anything, from a pas de deux in "Ziegfeld Follies" to the lowdown Mickey Spillane satire of "The Band Wagon."

. In this undated file photo, Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly are shown. Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died Tuesday, June 17, 2008. She was 8 — AP

Charisse starred in many MGM musicals with Gene Kelly (pictured) and Fred Astaire. Of the two she said, "I can watch Astaire anytime. I don't think he ever made a wrong move. He was a perfectionist. He would work on a few bars for hours until it was just the way he wanted it. Gene was the same way. They both wanted perfection, even though they were completely different personalities."

In this 1966 file photo, Cyd Charisse is pictured in character for her role in "Meet Me in Las Vegas". Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died — AP

Cyd Charisse as Maria Corvier in 1966's "Meet Me in Las Vegas". The film was nominated for the Oscar of Best Music Scoring of a Musical Picture. She also forged a popular song-and-dance partnership on television and in nightclub appearances with her husband, singer Tony Martin.

Entertainers Leslie Caron, right, and Cyd Charisse, center, greet Ann Miller at a gala dinner honoring MGM's musical past in 1987.

In this 1992 file photo, Cyd Charisse is pictured in character for her role in "Grand Hotel, The Musical". Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, — AP

Cyd Charisse, in 1992, pictured in character for her role in "Grand Hotel, The Musical." Her name was Tula Ellice Finklea when she was born in Amarillo, Texas, on March 8, 1922. From her earliest years she was called Sid, because her older brother couldn't say "sister." She was a sickly girl who started dancing lessons to build up her strength after a bout with polio.

Cyd Charisse, with Esther Williams, seated, Ann Miller, center, and June Allyson at the autograph signing for the public of the "That's Entertainment! The Ultimate Anthology of M-G-M Musicals" six CD box in 1995, at Tower Records in Los Angeles.

Donald O'Connor, Rita Moreno, Cyd Charisse, and Debbie Reynolds (l-r), members of original cast of movie "Singin' In The Rain", photo on black — AP

Charisse, in white, with Donald O'Connor, Rita Moreno, and Debbie Reynolds, members of original cast of movie "Singin' In The Rain."

AP

The Texas beauty was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 2006 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C. for her services to dance. She leaves behind her husband Tony Martin and a legacy of dance in many movies and musicals.