Eduardo Cansino

Eduardo Cansino (March 2, 1895 – December 24, 1968) was a Spanish-born American dancer and actor of Calé Roma or Sephardim descent. He was born in Castilleja de la Cuesta, Andalusia, Spain, and went on to establish a career as a performer in the United States that included appearances on Broadway between 1916 and 1923.

Cansino came from a family with deep roots in dance. His father, Antonio Cansino, was a practitioner of both classical and Roma flamenco and was recognized internationally for his performances of the bolero. His sister, Elisa, was also a dancer. Cansino's immigration to the United States was sponsored by the Stuyvesant family, and upon settling in New York he performed for, instructed, and became integrated into high society circles. Originally from Madrid, Spain, according to his Broadway records, he built a stage presence in New York that led to multiple theatrical engagements.

His Broadway career encompassed five productions. He appeared in the musicals The Night Boat, Follow Me, and The Girl from Home, as well as the revues Doing Our Bit and The Greenwich Village Follies in 1923. During his time in New York, he joined the Ziegfeld Follies, where he met Volga Hayworth. The two married in 1917 and had three children: Margarita Carmen, born October 17, 1918; Eduardo Jr., born October 13, 1919; and Vernon, born May 21, 1922.

Margarita Carmen Cansino later adopted her mother's maiden name as her professional surname, becoming known as Rita Hayworth, the actress and film star. Hayworth disclosed to her husband, Orson Welles, that her father had sexually abused her during their years performing together as the Dancing Cansinos. Her biographer, Barbara Leaming, documented that Hayworth's mother may have been aware of the abuse and slept in the same bed as her daughter in an attempt to protect her. Leaming further noted that the abuse Hayworth experienced as a child contributed to difficulties she faced in her adult relationships.

Eduardo Cansino died on December 24, 1968, in Pompano Beach, Florida, at the age of 73. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.