Hayworth was on stage by the age of six as a member of The Dancing Cansinos, a famous family of Spanish flamenco dancers working in vaudeville. Her father had performed in a dancing duo with his sister Elisa earlier in his career, and later he revived the duo with his daughter Rita as his dancing partner, performing in nightclubs in California and the Foreign Club in Tijuana, Mexico.
At age sixteen, already an accomplished professional dancer, Hayworth attracted the attention of film producers and was signed by Fox Studios in 1935, where she appeared mostly in small roles.
