In Rambleshoe, Dayton-based dance company Rhythm In Shoes performs dances that use Folk Bluegrass, Swing and Dixieland music.

What's a "rambleshoe," you ask? By definition, it's an old-fashioned sort of tangled tale. But RAMBLESHOE takes on a more clever significance as the title of a new show performed on Friday and Saturday at Dayton's Victoria Theatre by RHYTHM IN SHOES and THE RED CLAY RAMBLERS. I thought it an ingenious combination of the names of these two talented groups united in music and spirit. For this performance, dancing shoes ramble their way through a dynamic display of quick steps to delightful tunes performed live, all set within a framework of musical theater. It's hard to imagine a more perfectly matched collaboration. These two critically acclaimed groups present a variety of traditional styles of dance and music fused by contagious rhythms. From old-time Folk and Bluegrass to Swing and Dixieland, these skilled entertainers blend the greatest elements of old-time Americana with style and flair, steeped in a fresh approach. Since 1980, the seasoned dancers and musicians of Dayton-based Rhythm in Shoes have presented different styles of tap, clogging, swing and more to audiences in 45 states and abroad. The multi-generational company revives the spirit of yesteryear's forms and presents them in innovative ways. With a commitment to arts education and residency work, artistic directors SHARON LEAHY and RICK GOOD bring their respective choreographic and musical talents and passions to an even wider audience. Hailing from Chapel Hill, N.C., The Red Clay Ramblers have served up an eclectic concoction of acoustic delights here and abroad for 25 years. The group has a colorful history of collaboration with theatrical arts, including scoring Sam Shepard's film Far North and winning a special Tony award in 1999. In a time when accomplished, pure entertainment for the whole family isn't easy to come by, Rambleshoe is sure to turn a new generation on to traditional Jazz and Americana, while delighting those who remember it fondly. Where will the rambleshoe take us, you ask? Not sure, but the rambling journey through foot-stompin' rhythms performed with dramatic flair is bound to be half the fun!