Gwen Verdon

<p> American dancer, singer and actress Gwen Verdon (1925-2000) won four Tony awards for her work on Broadway and also appeared in films and on television. Stricken with rickets as a child, Verdon overcame severe leg deformity through ballet training, making her film debut at 11 as a solo ballerina in the musical <I>The King Steps Out</I> (1936). Her theater credits include <I>Can-Can</I> (1953-1955), <I>Damn Yankees</I> (1955-1956), <I>Redhead<