Caron started her career as a ballerina. Gene Kelly discovered her in the Roland Petit company "" and cast her to appear opposite him in the musical, "An American in Paris" (1951), a role in which a pregnant Cyd Charisse was originally cast. This role led to a long-term MGM contract and a sequence of films which included the musical, "The Glass Slipper" (1955), and the drama, "The Man with a Cloak" (1951), with Joseph Cotten and Barbara Stanwyck. Still, Caron has said of herself: "Unfortunately, Hollywood considers musical dancers as hoofers. Regrettable expression."