"What do dancers think of Fred Astaire? It's no secret. We hate him. His perfection is an absurdity, and that"s hard to face." Those were the words of one of Fred Astaire's many competing dancers, and , oddly enough, one of Astaire's true friends.

It really is hard to imagine that Astaire actually existed off screen, but in truth, his most magical moments were never caught on tape. He had this electric personality that just attracted people from all over, and made the best of the best admire and hate him all at the same time. Yet, Astaire was no slacker. It was only accomplished with interminable hours of grueling, pain-staking hours of sweat and toil. Fred referred to it as practice, which is how Astaire delivered such flawless performances. It took every little bit of energy out of him, yet he loved what he did.

As usual, like the rest of his dancing, musical confidantes, Astaire got his start on Broadway with many stellar performances, his sister Adele accompanying him.