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 studied ballet
as a child and later joined the Ballet Russe in 1934 as
'Felia Sidorova' and became part of the corps de ballet
and toured the U.S. and Europe. To appear Russian with the
nearly all-Russian company, she was first billed as Celia
Siderova, than as Maria Istromena. Cyd was also known as
Maria Istomina, Felia Sidorva and Lily Norwood in many ballet
theater programs.
After her fathers death, Cyd
moved to Los Angeles where she met Nico. Cyd married Nico
Charisse in 1939 who was also her ex-dance teacher and earlier
dance partner. Cyd was said to have the best legs in show
business and sometimes billed as "the most celebrated
set of legs in Hollywood history".
Robert Tucker and Nenette Charisee married,
Tucker was a Choreographer and Nenette was Cyd's Aunt who
was a ballet teacher. Cyd was related to Zan Charisse, Nana
Visitor, Ian Tucker.
Cyd later danced with many movie
greats such as Gene
Kelly and Fred Astaire plus
danced with others such as Ricardo Montalban, Roland Petit,
and James Mitchell as well as acted and danced in many other
movies.
