Maud Madison (November 19, 1870 – October 4, 1953) was an American actress and dancer.

Early life

Maud Madison was born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California. She was the daughter of actress and suffragist Julie Reinhardt (1844–1924). She completed studies at the Boucicault School of Acting in 1889.

Career

Madison started her stage career as an actress in touring companies, and appeared with English actor

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Life and career Mansfield was born ...

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

. By 1893, she was described primarily as a dancer, specializing in performance of the "crinoline dance" or

skirt dance A skirt dance is a form of dance popular in Europe and America, particularly in burlesque and vaudeville theater of the 1890s, in which women dancers would manipulate long, layered skirts with their arms to create a motion of flowing fabric, often ...

, a popular trend of the day. In 1900 she danced with

Loie Fuller Loie Fuller (born Marie Louise Fuller; January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928), also known as Louie Fuller and Loïe Fuller, was an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques. Career Born ...

in Paris, at the Exposition Universelle. While in Paris, she also danced in a cage of lions as a publicity stunt. In 1910, she danced at the opening of the Colonial Opera House in

Hamilton, Bermuda The City of Hamilton, in Pembroke Parish, is the territorial capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination. Its population of 854 (2016) is one of the sm ...

. Inspired by Fuller, Madison took a particular interest in lighting effects and innovative costuming for her performances. She amazed audiences when flags and famous portraits were projected onto her skirts while they whirled and fluttered. "Miss Madison is the originator or many novel effects in ballroom exhibition dances," explained the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' in 1916. Madison toured the United States that year, with poet

Charles Keeler Charles Augustus Keeler (October 7, 1871 – July 31, 1937) was an American author, poet, ornithologist and advocate for the arts, particularly architecture. Biography Early life Charles Keeler was born on October 7, 1871 in Milwaukee, Wisconsi ...

, interpreting his poems in dances such as "The Harper's Song of Isis" (an Egyptian art-inspired dance), "The Vampire" (a bat-themed dance) and "Princess Papilio" (a butterfly-themed dance). She also taught social dance steps in New York City.

Personal life

Madison had a daughter,

Beatrice Maude Beatrice Maude (July 22, 1892 – October 14, 1984) was an American actress and theatrical director. Early life Beatrice Maude was born in California. Her mother and grandmother were both actresses; her mother Maud Madison was also a dancer. ...

, who became an actress. Madison died in 1953, at home in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. A collection of her papers is archived in the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Madison, Maud 1870 births 1953 deaths American dancers Vaudeville performers Actresses from San Francisco