Ann-Margret danced opposite Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas, exploded onto screens in Bye Bye Birdie, and became one of the most recognizable performers of her generation.

But her dance story has rarely been examined — let alone in full.

In this episode of The Rest of the Story on the Hey, Dancer! podcast, I trace her path from a tiny village in northern Sweden to childhood dance training outside Chicago, late-night club stages as a teenager, national television talent shows, and an unusually fast rise through Hollywood musicals.

Rather than focusing on fame, this episode follows the throughline that shaped everything: how her body moved — onstage, on camera, and under pressure — and how that physicality set her apart at a moment when screen dance was changing.

We dig into her early film musicals, her electric partnership with Elvis Presley, and the stretch of work that helped redefine movement in 1960s movies — before a devastating onstage accident nearly ended her career.

What followed was not a reinvention, but a return — through live performance, television, and film (including an Oscar nom for Tommy) — driven by discipline, resolve, and an unshakable connection to movement.

This is the untold dance journey behind a performer known for many things — and the story of how dance was always at the center.

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