Eleanor Powell was an American dancer and actress known for her powerful style of tap dancing. She performed several tap dance numbers in films during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1965, she was chosen as the ‘World’s Greatest Tap Dancer’ by the Dance Masters of America. Despite her massive popularity, she did only 14 movies during her entire career. A native of Springfield, Powell started studying ballet at the age of six and began dancing at nightclubs as a young lady. In 1928, she started her training in tap and eventually brought her athletic dance style to Broadway. Her powerful footwork earned Powell much recognition during this time and she ultimately made the move to Hollywood in 1935. After her debut in ‘George White's 1935 Scandals', the tap dancer went on to appear in numerous other films, including ‘Born to Dance’ and ‘Rosalie’. She retired after her marriage to Canadian-American actor Glenn Ford in 1943. However, following her divorce in 1959, she restarted her career and danced for a few years across New York and Las Vegas musical venues. Powell died in 1982 of ovarian cancer, at the age of 69.