By TRIBUNE STAFF
Published January 5, 2022

Eleanor Leight, star dancer of Snohomish, dies

SNOHOMISH — Eleanor Leight, whose dance skills helped her land a performing role with the Radio City Rockettes, died Dec. 23, three months shy of her 100th birthday.
The Leights moved to Snohomish in 1968. Now a middle-aged mother of five, Eleanor Leight soon began teaching dance and gymnastics for kids through adults, her obituary said. She kept it up into her 90s. She taught all styles, from ballet to ballroom dancing, wrote Teri Baker of the Snohomish County Womens Legacy Project.
Leight and her Leight Fantastics put on annual Mother’s Day shows in Snohomish for decades, featuring local talent for the extravaganza. The dance group also held Christmas holiday shows. The shows fundraised money for local causes.
Born March 13, 1922, when Leight was in her early 20s and got in as a Rockette, she performed in New York City and then overseas. The women known for high kicks and high energy performed USO shows to perk soldiers up in postwar Europe.

Doug Ramsay photo

Eleanor Leight, at right, age 95, cheers on the director and performers of the Leight Fantastics holiday dance show held in December 2017 at the Snohomish Senior Center.

Calling all Snohomians

Who’s the oldest Snohomish Panther still around? Maybe it’s your relative? Maybe it’s you? The Tribune wants to find out. Tell us who you think it is: write to P.O. Box 499, Snohomish, WA 98291, email to editor.tribune@snoho.com
or call 360-568-4121.
We're still working on this, but watch for an upcoming Tribune to see some recognitions.

Check out our online publications!