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Vernon and Irene Castle

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Vernon and Irene Castle

Vernon and Irene Castle
Article Image
Vernon and Irene Castle, c. 1912
Credit: Benjamin Johnston[1]

Overview


Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife Ballroom dancing team, rising to fame in the early 1910s. The Castles are credited with spreading the popularity of American Ballroom dances to Europe, including the Foxtrot, One-Step, Tango, Turkey Trot, and others[2].


Background

Vernon Castle


Born: May 2, 1887, Norwich, England
Died: February 15, 1918, Fort Benbrook, Texas[3]

Vernon Castle was born Vernon William Blythe in 1887[4]. He moved to New York with his sister and her husband, both actors, and soon joined show business himself, despite his training as an civil engineer[5], and adopted the last name of Castle[6]. Between 1906 and 1911, Vernon appeared in vaudeville,[7] specializing as a "gentleman drunk," elegantly falling and stumbling about the stage[8].

Irene Castle


Born: April 17, 1893, New Rochelle, New York
Died: January 29, 1969, Eureka Springs, Arkansas[9]

Irene Castle was born Irene Foote in 1893, the granddaughter of the press agent for the Barnum and Bailey Circus[10]. She studied dance as a child, and appeared in amateur theatricals as a teenager[11].

The Castles


Vernon and Irene met in the summer of 1910[12], and were married one year later[13]. Together they appeared in several shows together, into which they would occasionally insert choreographed dance numbers[14]. It was these dances that gained the Castles public attention, and they were soon invited to dance at private parties across Europe[15]. These performances in turn attracted the Castles a manager in 1913, Elizabeth Marbury, who got them starring roles in a number of broadway performances[16]. As their fame grew, Irene became a fashion icon, initiating the vogue of short skirts and bobbed hair[17]. She became a highly-demanded model, with her image being leased to products ranging from cars to cigarettes[18].

Through their performances, the Castles helped to introduce ragtime and jazz to Europe and to make accompanying styles of dancing acceptable in both America and Europe[19]. The Castles were also known for their progressive beliefs. Their manager was openly lesbian[20], they traveled with a black orchestra, and were considered to be the first white entertainers to hire African-American musicians[21]. They also served as animal-rights advocates[22].



  1. By Johnston, Frances Benjamin, 1864-1952, photographer. - Library of Congress CALL NUMBER: LOT 11735 <item> [P&P], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9711039
  2. Martin, C. (2012). Irene and Vernon Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/castle.html
  3. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  4. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  5. Warren, J. (2014, October 6). 'A Groundbreaking Biography:' Years of Ballroom Success Cut Short by Tragedy. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/519291/Biography-of-ballroom-dancers-Irene-Castle-and-Vernon-Castle
  6. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  7. Martin, C. (2012). Vernon and Irene Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/castle_essay_martin.pdf
  8. Warren, J. (2014, October 6). 'A Groundbreaking Biography:' Years of Ballroom Success Cut Short by Tragedy. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/519291/Biography-of-ballroom-dancers-Irene-Castle-and-Vernon-Castle
  9. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  10. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  11. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  12. Martin, C. (2012). Vernon and Irene Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/castle_essay_martin.pdf
  13. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  14. Martin, C. (2012). Vernon and Irene Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/castle_essay_martin.pdf
  15. Martin, C. (2012). Vernon and Irene Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/castle_essay_martin.pdf
  16. Martin, C. (2012). Vernon and Irene Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/castle_essay_martin.pdf
  17. Warren, J. (2014, October 6). 'A Groundbreaking Biography:' Years of Ballroom Success Cut Short by Tragedy. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/519291/Biography-of-ballroom-dancers-Irene-Castle-and-Vernon-Castle
  18. Martin, C. (2012). Vernon and Irene Castle. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/castle_essay_martin.pdf
  19. Warren, J. (2014, October 6). 'A Groundbreaking Biography:' Years of Ballroom Success Cut Short by Tragedy. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/519291/Biography-of-ballroom-dancers-Irene-Castle-and-Vernon-Castle
  20. Warren, J. (2014, October 6). 'A Groundbreaking Biography:' Years of Ballroom Success Cut Short by Tragedy. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/519291/Biography-of-ballroom-dancers-Irene-Castle-and-Vernon-Castle
  21. Vernon and Irene Castle Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Castle-Vernon-and-Irene.html
  22. Warren, J. (2014, October 6). 'A Groundbreaking Biography:' Years of Ballroom Success Cut Short by Tragedy. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/519291/Biography-of-ballroom-dancers-Irene-Castle-and-Vernon-Castle



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