Born Virginia McMath in 1911, Ginger Rogers was best known as the beautiful and graceful dance partner of Fred Astaire. Alongside Fred, she demonstrated her versatility in 10 smash hit Hollywood movies, showing us everything from the romance and liquidity of a perfectly executed waltz, to the highest of high energy tap routines.

Ginger was an accomplished dancer in her own right long before she ever met Astaire. She’d been a state champion Flapper dancer, had a very successful Vaudeville act, achieved critical acclaim as a Broadway performer and appeared in several Hollywood movies in the pre-Fred years. But it was the pairing with Astaire that gave Ginger the platform to show the world her dancing mettle.

Although Astaire was the creative force behind the pairing and commanded control over the choreography, Ginger did often contribute to the process. And when it came to the performance, she proved herself more than a match for Fred’s technical brilliance and that’s no mean feat given she was dancing his steps, backwards – and usually in high heels!

The thing I most love about Ginger was her ability to make the complex, look really easy – and that’s the mark of a truly accomplished dancer. And because she was a great actress too, she helped to boost the appeal of her famous dance partner. Dance critic John Mueller once said that “the reason so many women have fantasised about dancing with Fred Astaire is that Ginger Rogers conveyed the impression that dancing with him is the most thrilling experience imaginable”.

Click here to watch Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in Swing Time.

Ginger earns her place on the SK Dance Studio Top 10 Dancers of All Time list because behind every great man, there’s a great woman. And in Fred Astaire’s case, it’s certainly true.