Category: Fan Dancers

The Life and Career of Alene Hoover

Erna Alene Hoover—born in Harlan, Iowa, on April 12 or 13, 1912—emerged from the Midwest with a determination that would… Read more.
Lin Chan: Chinese Dancer

In the late 1930s, as tensions escalated in East Asia and the United States edged toward war, a young woman… Read more.
The Dolly Sisters: Burlesque Twins

In the glittering world of early 20th-century entertainment, few performers embodied the extravagance and allure of the era quite like… Read more.
Noel Toy

Noel Toy was a pioneer of Chinese American burlesque, known for her stunning fan and bubble dances that captivated audiences… Read more.
Thida Loy

Thida Loy was a San Franciscan-born Chinese performer began dancing as a burlesque fan dancer in the 1930s. The earliest… Read more.
Fay Baker

Marie Amelia Nebel was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 10, 1910. Though she went by Mary, her stage name… Read more.
Nancy Miller

Nancy Dorcas Miller Nancy Dorcas Miller was born in Hardinsburg, Kentucky on November 14, 1913 to her mother, Nannie Hendrick,… Read more.
Sally Rand in Nebraska

(Nebraska Daily News Press. “Now Argue.” Page 11. February 8, 1925) [Caption reads: “If you think that Sally Rand isn’t… Read more.
Roxanne Carmine

Roxanne Carmine was born as Golda (or Goldie) Glickman in Chicago to the “Maxwell Street Glickmans”, a Jewish family, around… Read more.
Rosita Royce “The Dove Dancer”

Lotus Marjorie Corrington (1913-1954) Rosita Royce was born Lotus Marjorie Corrington in Tecumseh, Nebraska on August 9, 1913.* She went… Read more.
Amy Spencer | The Lady with the Fan

Amy Spencer was a Black actress and fan dancer born around 1909 in East Orange, New Jersey. Her father was… Read more.
Noma } Fan Dancer

Noma was a famous fan dancer in the 1930s. She lived and worked in Chicago, IL mostly. Noma was born… Read more.