Imitation Artist

Early-twentieth century theatrical innovator Gertrude Hoffmann gets some long-overdue recognition in Sunny Stalter-Pace's delightful new biography. Writing with the verve that characterized Hoffmann's dynamic performance style, Stalter-Pace takes readers on a journey through Hoffmann's personal and professional history as a Broadway choreographer, dancer, director, producer, and imitation artist. We meet a woman who wasn't afraid to flout convention, challenge taboos, and assert her rights as an artist." - Marlis Schweitzer, author of When Broadway Was the Runway: Theater, Fashion, and American Culture

"Gertrude Hoffmann's entire career is of major importance to American dance and popular theater. Stalter-Pace has done admirable research on all aspects of Hoffmann's life and career, making it cohesive by emphasizing Hoffmann's understanding of how to link her performances to their audiences." - Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, author of Ned Wayburn and the Dance Routine

"Drawing on extensive archival research and writing in lively and economical prose, Stalter-Pace reveals Gertrude Hoffman to have been a major figure in nearly every popular performance tradition of the early twentieth century, from blackface minstrelsy and Orientalist appropriation to early modern dance and the Americanization of ballet to the emergence of the white chorus line. The book will appeal to anyone interested in U.S. performance history, celebrity culture, racialized femininity, and theories of imitation." - Anthea Kraut, author of Choreographing Copyright: Race, Gender, and Intellectual Property Rights in American Dance