The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle Astaire, Fred performer Rogers, Ginger performer Film 1939-03-30 RKO Radio The story of the life and career of ragtime and early jazz-era ballroom dance team Vernon and Irene Castle with choreography that melds tap and ballroom dance. "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" a traditional soft-shoe performed as a solo for Astaire that alternates between lightweight footwork and more cloglike galumphing; "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee," a bouncy duet set to the ragtime-era classic, written in 1911 by Lewis Muir, derives from cakewalk and polka steps, with references to the Texas Tommy (created by Esther Williams, the basis of the dance was a kick and a rhythmic hop three times on each foot); anticipates the Lindy Hop; a brisk double helix, Astaire's signature move, sends the dancers swirling around each other until they end up front to front again and render one of the most notorious Texas Tommy steps in which Rogers is spun away from Astaire and winds back into his arms like a yo-yo. "Castle Walk Rehearsal" and "Too Much Mustard" showing the origins of the Castles' legendary one-step, a dance that begins with a walk (the one-step) and raises dancers on the toes at each step keeping the legs stiff, with embellished hitch-kicks and back kicks, demonstrates the simplest form of rhythmic or syncopated stepping in social dancing that is related to tap dance. "Medley Montage" shows the nuance of the fox-trot, a syncopated two-step suggested to the Castles by their bandleader James Reese Europe; and the maxie, a swaying variation of the fox-trot to which Astaire and Rogers add a series of tiny puttering steps. "Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend" is an Astaire solo is an amusing routine built on scooting, careening, and leg-slinging eccentric steps and legomania that recalls the comedy dance style of Ray Bolger. Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Mueller, John: Astaire Dancing: The Musical Films. New York: Knopf (1985). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html Fred Astaire (biography) loc.music.tdabio.16 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.312