The Only Female to Out-Dance Astaire Revered as the "Queen of Tap Dancing," this legend displayed the speed and agility of an acrobat in her work, paired with the long legs of a thoroughbred dancer. Eleanor Torrey Powell, born November 21, 1912 in Springfield, Massachusetts comes from very humble beginnings. A shy Eleanor got her start in dance at the early age of 11 in an attempt by her parents to make her more sociable. She trained in only acrobatics and ballet initially, which many believe led to her specific grace and style. Her life changed drastically when visiting her relatives in Atlantic city where Gus Edwards, the head of the Vaudeville Kiddie revue, spotted her ability which lead to her stage debut. Following some time performing
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She hit it big with her first on-screen appearance in George White's 1936 Scandals and from then on went to dance in an abundance of Hollywood movies. Although she was unsure to the idea of performing on the silver screen, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer accepted her unreasonable salary demands and so she accepted their contract. This was to the benefit of the both of them, as in the late 1930s MGM was going bankrupt, but Eleanor Powell's films (such as Broadway Melody of 1936) were so profitable that they ultimately saved MGM. Powell then went on to star in many movies, and alongside some of the most famous male dancers of her time including James Stewart, Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Nelson Eddy, and Robert Young. Most notably, in 1940 she danced with Fred Astaire in Porter's Begin the Beguine. The finale is generally considered to be one of the greatest tap sequences in film history. Powell's ability was so phenomenal that Fred Astaire himself was intimidated by her, stating about her that "[s]he 'put 'em down like a man', no ricky-ticky-sissy stuff with Ellie. She really knocked out a tap dance in a class by herself." Eleanor Powell was the only female dancer ever considered to be able to out-dance Fred
She hit it big with her first on-screen appearance in George White's 1936 Scandals and from then on went to dance in an abundance of Hollywood movies. Although she was unsure to the idea of performing on the silver screen, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer accepted her unreasonable salary demands and so she accepted their contract. This was to the benefit of the both of them, as in the late 1930s MGM was going bankrupt, but Eleanor Powell's films (such as Broadway Melody of 1936) were so profitable that they ultimately saved MGM. Powell then went on to star in many movies, and alongside some of the most famous male dancers of her time including James Stewart, Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Nelson Eddy, and Robert Young. Most notably, in 1940 she danced with Fred Astaire in Porter's Begin the Beguine. The finale is generally considered to be one of the greatest tap sequences in film history. Powell's ability was so phenomenal that Fred Astaire himself was intimidated by her, stating about her that "[s]he 'put 'em down like a man', no ricky-ticky-sissy stuff with Ellie. She really knocked out a tap dance in a class by herself." Eleanor Powell was the only female dancer ever considered to be able to out-dance Fred