Let's Make #ToeTapTuesday a Thing with This Epic Vintage Video

Remember that fabulous old-school clip of dancers tapping in pointe shoes that Tabitha and Napoleon D’umo brought to our attention back in March? As we mentioned then, toe-tap dancing was actually super popular back in the 1920s and 30s—which means there are more videos where that one came from. And because #ToeTapTuesday has a nice ring to it, we thought we’d take this opportunity to introduce you to Dick and Edith Barstow, a toe-tapping brother and sister duo from that era who are nothing short of incredible:

They’re tapping. In pointe shoes. On stairs. TAPPING IN POINTE SHOES ON STAIRS.

A little context: This clip is from the 1934 film The Gem of the Ocean. The Barstows were already famous at that point for their act on the vaudeville circuit, which sometimes involved three more of their siblings. And Dick went on to choreograph and direct for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (with Edith assisting), and to stage numbers for Judy Garland. Dance history is fascinating, y’all.

(H/t to choreographer and teacher Sheri Leblanc, who shared this vid on Twitter!)