| On Your Toes | |
|---|---|
 Original promotional material | |
| Music | Richard Rodgers |
| Lyrics | Lorenz Hart |
| Book | Richard Rodgers George Abbott Lorenz Hart |
| Productions | 1936 Broadway 1939 Film 1954 Broadway revival 1983 Broadway revival |
| Awards | 1983 Tony Award for Best Reproduction 1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival |
On Your Toes (1936) is a musical with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. It was adapted into a film in 1939.
While teaching music at Knickerbocker University, Phil "Junior" Dolan III tries to persuade Sergei Alexandrovich, the director of the Russian Ballet, to stage the jazz ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. After becoming involved with the company's prima ballerina Vera Barnova, Junior is forced to assume the male lead in Slaughter. Trouble ensues when he becomes the target of two thugs hired by Vera's lover and dance partner to kill him.
On Your Toes marked the first time a Broadway musical made dramatic use of classical dance and incorporated jazz into its score.[citation needed]