On the eve of World War I, they had the world at—and watching—their feet, enchanting New York, London, and Paris with their dizzying steps. The intimate and tragic biography of Americas pioneering ballroom couple. Vernon and Irene Castle were the worlds first true celebrity couple. He, an Englishman, was tall, poised, and slim, a template for the Hollywood idols who would follow. She, a New Yorker, was a glorious, modern beauty, with her haired cropped into a shock, a disdain for crippling corsets, and a love of a martini and a good time. Together, they beat the censors and made their vibrant dancing acceptable for all. In the fashionable quarters of New York they opened a dance school and night clubs to which Society flocked. They broke the rules by touring with black musicians, and led the way forward to the Charleston-galloping Gatsby Generation.
