The Royal Oak Foundation

Welcomes

Victoria Kastner

Author of

Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect

May 15, 2025

Virtual Lecture

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (ET)

FRED ASTAIRE IN LONDON

Though born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in New York City, dancer Fred Astaire spent a significant portion of his early career in the United Kingdom. From 1922 to 1932, he and his sister Adele captivated London audiences in three wildly popular West End musicals, sparking a sensation so intense that critics dubbed it “Astairia.” During his time in London, Astaire immersed himself in British culture, studying music theory at London’s Guildhall School of Music alongside Noël Coward and socializing with the aristocracy. After a decade in London, Adele retired from the stage to marry Lord Charles Cavendish, the second son of the Duke of Devonshire, and moved to Lismore Castle in Ireland. The pair’s decade of dancing and performing in London had an equally profound effect on Fred. With his new dance partner, Claire Luce, he expanded his repertoire, incorporating sweeping, romantic movements as well as an English sense of style. His impeccable fashion sense, effortless charm, and refined elegance—so central to his legendary dance films of the 1930s through the 1950s—were deeply influenced by the customs and style he observed while mingling with British high society and even the royal family. Victoria Kastner will explore the profound impact of Astaire’s years in the UK, revealing how his time on the London stage helped shape the dancer, actor, and icon the world came to adore.

More details to follow. Registration will soon be available here.