Eleanor Powell: Born To Dance

Arguably one of the greatest tap dancers to grace the American stage and screen, Eleanor Powell (1912–82) thought she would not make an interesting subject of a biography, given her relatively scandal-free life. Happily, however, former dancers/writers Broussard and Royère disagreed and spent 40 years meticulously researching Powell’s tremendous career. Born premature to two teenagers who had been forced to marry, Powell was enrolled in dance class at age six to help overcome her inherent shyness. By the age of 19, she was the most skilled woman tap dancer on Broadway, dancing with Bill Robinson and eventually Fred Astaire, who realized she was the stronger dancer. The authors skillfully interweave Powell’s personal stories, such as an awkward date with Jimmy Stewart, an unhappy marriage to Glenn Ford (ending with his affair with Rita Hayworth), and a later devotion to her faith, becoming an ordained minister. The book showcases both her career triumphs and a few missteps, such as adding tap to a hula dance for the film Honolulu.