Steiner Brothers (tap-dancing trio)
Canadian tap-dancing trio active in mid-20th-century entertainment.
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Three brothers from Winnipeg, Roy, Ron, and Rob Steiner, made up the Steiner Brothers, a Canadian tap-dancing trio who also sang and did comedy. They performed in nightclubs, theatres, TV, and film across North America in the 1950s and 1960s. Ron Steiner was an original Mouseketeer for Walt Disney.
Quick Facts
- Members
- Roy Steiner (May 20, 1941 – October 27, 2019), Ron Steiner (born 1942), Rob Steiner (born 1944)
- Active years
- 1950s–1960s
- Notable member
- Ron Steiner (original Mouseketeer)
Facts from the source article.
Family background and education
The Steiner Brothers are the sons of Ralph and Madge Steiner. Ralph was a violin prodigy who led the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at twelve and later ran his own dance band. Madge performed with the Saskatchewan dance troupe the Hoffard Sisters. The couple performed together, with Ralph sometimes appearing as the clown Howie Squeeks, until they had children.
The family lived on Eugenie Street in Saint Boniface, Winnipeg. The brothers started dance lessons with their parents to help correct Roy’s mildly crippled foot, with no initial plans for a dance career. After Madge’s sister became a dancer for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, the family moved to California, where the boys attended the Hollywood Professional School.
Performance history
The Steiner Brothers first gained Hollywood attention after performing at a Christmas party thrown by Martin and Lewis in 1952. They soon booked professional engagements, including at the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Los Angeles.
After auditioning for Dinah Shore in a dance studio their parents set up in the family's garage, they performed three times on The Dinah Shore Show in 1957-1958. Their television appearances included The Mickey Mouse Club (1956), The George Burns Show (1959), The Garry Moore Show (1959), The Ed Sullivan Show (1963), and The Jerry Lewis Show (1963). In live performance, they worked with Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, and Jerry Lewis.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Steiner Brothers (tap-dancing trio) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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