Today we have Dancing with The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, but back in the early days of TV and movies, there was only one queen of dancing and that was the Glamorous, Gorgeous and Greatly talented Ginger Rogers!
All you naturally beautiful women (and men) remember what they had to say about Fred Astaire — “Sure he was great, but don’t forget Ginger Rogers did everything he did backwards . . . and in high heels!” Ginger and Fred had something that no one has been able to duplicate since – according to Garson Kanin, the famous Hollywood director – “The magic of Astaire and Rogers cannot be explained; it can only be felt. They created a style, a mood, a happening. They flirted, chased, courted, slid, caressed, hopped, skipped, jumped, bent, swayed, clasped, wafted, undulated, nestled, leapt, quivered, glided, spun – in sum, made love before our eyes. We have not seen their like since.”
Ginger Rogers was not only a fabulous dancer, she was also a very talented actress, a highly accomplished artist, and a devout Christian Scientist. She directed her first stage musical, Babes In Arms, at age 74. She received a 1952 Golden Globe Nomination for her role in Monkey Business. She was a fashion consultant and spokesperson for the JC Penney chain from 1972-75. In 1940 she won an Oscar as the Best Actress in a Leading Role for her dramatic performance in Kitty Foyle, beating Bette Davis in The Letter, Joan Fontaine in Rebecca, Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, and Martha Scott in Our Town. In 1945 she was Hollywood’s highest paid star.
In 1936 Ginger Rogers was commissioned as the only woman admiral of the Texas Navy.
As one of our great naturally beautiful women, Ginger knew the importance of being beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside - “The most important thing in anyone’s life is to be giving something. The quality I can give is fun, joy and happiness. This is my gift.”
