Conversation so far:
What happened in 1940?
His first post-Ginger dance partner was the redoubtable Eleanor Powell--considered the finest female tap-dancer of her generation--in Broadway Melody.
What Broadway shows was he in?
Broadway Melody of 1940, in which they performed a celebrated extended dance routine to Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine.
Who else did he perform with?
He played alongside Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn (1942) and later Blue Skies (1946.

Question: How were his performances received?
Self-contained rewrite: How were Fred Astaire's performances received?