What is Vernon and Irene Castle?
{{Copyedit|date=October 2024}}[[File:Vernon and Irene Castle2 crop.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Vernon and Irene Castle, c. 1910-1918.]] [[File:Mrs. Vernon Castle Movie Card.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Irene Castle]] '''Vernon and Irene Castle''' were a husband-and-wife team of [[ballroom dance]]rs of the early 20th century. They were famous for developing and promoting dancing in the period of the [[First World War]]. Vernon Castle (2 May 1887 – 15 February 1918) was born William Vernon Blyth in [[Norwich]], [[Norfolk]], [[England]]. Irene Castle (17 April 1893 – 25 January 1969) was born Irene Foote, the daughter of a prominent [[physician]] in [[New Rochelle]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Vernon chose 'Castle' as a [[stage name]] when he first performed as a comic, because his sister (also on the stage) already used the family name, Blyth. He had already taken the name before Irene met him in 1910.<ref>Castle, Irene 1958. ''Castles in the air''. As told to Bob & Wanda Duncan. Doubleday, New York.</ref><sup>p33</sup> ==Rise to fame== Vernon was initially trained to become a civil [[engineer]]. He moved to New York in 1906. There he became established as a comic actor and conjuror. Irene studied dancing and performed in several amateur theatricals before meeting Vernon in 1910. The next year, over her father’s objections, the two were married. The English-born Vernon had already established himself as a dancer in comedic roles. His specialty was playing a gentleman drunk, who elegantly fell about the stage while trying to hide his condition. After their marriage, Irene joined Vernon in The Hen-Pecks (1911), a production in which he was a featured player. The two then traveled together to [[Paris]] to perform in a dance revue. The show closed quickly, but the couple was hired as a dance act by the [[Café de Paris]]. Performing the latest American dances, the Castles were soon the rage of Parisian society. They introduced [[United States|American]] [[ragtime]] dances, such as the Turkey Trot and the Grizzly Bear.<re