Anthony DeVuono, 97, a tap dancer who ran a S. Phila. dance school

Anthony DeVuono, 97, a tap dancer who dazzled audiences with acrobatic moves in the 1940s and 1950s and operated a dance school in South Philadelphia for 50 years, died Sunday, March 31, at his home in Columbia, Md.

In the 1940s, Mr. DeVuono and a friend, Sam Perna, were known as the Vanderbilt Boys, a dance duo.

The pair performed in theaters and nightclubs from coast to coast, combining precision tap dancing, acrobatics, and comedy skits.

The pair closed their act with a flourish as the tuxedo-clad Mr. DeVuono stood on Perna's shoulders, leaped into a somersault, and landed on his feet on Perna's shoulders.

"It was spectacular," said Mr. DeVuono's son William. "They performed all over the place."

In 1955, Mr. DeVuono and his wife, Adeline, also a dancer, opened a dance school on the first floor of their three-story rowhouse in the 1400 block of Snyder Avenue. They operated the school until 2005.

Anthony DeVuono was born in Philadelphia on Jan. 3, 1916. He was raised in South Philadelphia, where he lived for most of his life.

Mr. DeVuono graduated from South Philadelphia High School. He met Perna while on the school's gymnastics team, and they put together a dance-and-acrobatics act in 1937.

In 1942, Mr. DeVuono was inducted in the Army. He served in Europe during World War II, earning the rank of corporal. He was stationed in France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium.

During his time in the Army, Mr. DeVuono worked on a variety show, tap dancing, doing acrobatics, and performing comedy sketches for troops.

When he returned to Philadelphia in 1945, he and Perna formed the Vanderbilt Boys.

The pair performed at Radio City Music Hall and the Paramount Theatre in New York, the Chicago and State Theatres in Chicago, and similar venues across the country.

The pair worked with Kate Smith, Milton Berle, Patti Page, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr., and other top entertainers of the day, William DeVuono said, adding that the Vanderbilt Boys were usually the opening act.

William DeVuono said his father, though largely self-taught, "was an extremely good" tap dancer.

"You watch Sammy Davis Jr. and guys like that on TV," William DeVuono said. "Oh, he would have been able to keep up with them, no problem."

During a rehearsal for a traveling variety show, Mr. DeVuono met Adeline "Addie" Corsi, a chorus-line dancer from West Virginia. The couple married in 1948.

They started the DeVuono School of Dance on the first floor of their Snyder Avenue home.

Mr. DeVuono taught tap dancing and acrobatics and his wife taught ballet, pointe, and jazz dance.

The DeVuonos closed the dance school in 2005 after 50 years. They taught thousands of students over the years, his son said.

He continued to work with the Vanderbilt Boys until the early 1960s.

Perna died on Easter in 2012 at age 96 and Mr. DeVuono died on Easter 2013 at age 97, his son said.

Mr. DeVuono and his wife moved to Columbia in 2011 to be closer to their son.

Aside from dancing, Mr. DeVuono enjoyed golf and playing pinochle.

"We played our last game of pinochle about 10 days before he died," William DeVuono said.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. DeVuono is survived by another son, Anthony; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13, at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 10755 Scaggsville Rd., Laurel, Md.