Edith Clasper
Edith Clasper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Edith Clasper in 1924 | |
| Born | October 12, 1894 Stranton, Hartlepool, U.K. |
| Died | May 1984 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, vaudeville performer |
| Years active | 1920s |
Edith Crosbie Clasper (October 12, 1894[1] – May 1984) was an English-born American dancer active on the vaudeville stage in the 1920s.
Early life and education[edit]
Clasper was born in Stranton, Hartlepool, the daughter of Robert Clasper and Barbara Crosbie Clasper.[2] Her mother was born in Scotland. Her father died in 1898.[3] Clasper moved to the United States as a little girl, with her widowed mother, and lived with relatives in Chicago.[4]
Career[edit]
Clasper was billed as "the daintiest of dancers".[5][6] She headlined on tours of the United States and Canada in the 1920s,[7][8] as the leader of Edith Clasper and Boys, a comedy dance act.[9][10] She cautioned beginning dancers that "it is just downright hard work"[11] and advised them to "dance, not only with your heels, but with your head."[12] In 1920 she was stricken mid-performance with appendicitis in Madison, Wisconsin; her male assistants carried her off-stage and continued the act, while she took a train back to Chicago for medical attention.[13]
The Pacific Coast Musical Review reported in 1920 that Clasper "has every asset necessary to the successful dancer — appearance, youth, grace, abandon, and poetry."[14] The Montreal Star observed in 1923 that Clasper "obviously delights to dance. There is a freshness about her work that is infectious."[15] Variety magazine reported on her stage costumes in detail.[16]
In his youth, actor Dick Baldwin was one of the male dancers in Clasper's act.[17]
Personal life[edit]
Later in life, Clasper worked as a baby nurse for a family on Park Avenue.[18] She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1953.[1] She died in 1984, at the age of 89.[19]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Edith Crosbie Clasper, in the New York, U.S., Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989; via Ancestry
- ^ Edith Crosbie Clasper, in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; via Ancestry.
- ^ "Death of Mr. Robert Clasper". Northern Guardian. January 4, 1898. p. 3. Retrieved August 13, 2023 – via The British Newspaper Archive, via The Wikipedia Library.
- ^ Edith C. Clasper, in the 1900 Federal Census, via Ancestry.
- ^ "Edith Clasper, Dancer, to top Columbia Bill: Dainty Star to Feature Program Here First of this Week". Quad-City Times. 1920-08-29. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ National Vaudeville Artists (1924). National vaudeville artists : May 11, 1924. Media History Digital Library – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Orpheum". Altoona Tribune. 1922-12-29. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Real Vaudeville Bill at Orpheum; Edith Clasper in her Dancing Act Makes Hit; Nelson a Riot". Calgary Herald. 1924-08-26. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Edith Clasper and Boys". Dramatic Mirror. 83: 866. May 14, 1921.
- ^ Hutton, Maurice C. (1925-05-04). "Music Lovers Get 'Kick' from Keith 'Band' Burlesque". The Dayton Herald. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Edith Clasper". The Kentucky Post and Times-Star. 1923-10-05. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Clasper Has Wholesome Advice". The Vancouver Sun. 1920-12-02. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Orpheum Actress Stricken in Act". The Capital Times. September 13, 1920. p. 1. Retrieved August 13, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Orpheum" Pacific Coast Musical Review 39(December 18, 1920): 6.
- ^ "Edith Clasper Brings Charm and Originality to Imperial Program". The Montreal Star. 1923-11-20. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mac, Alice (June 18, 1920). "Among the Women". Variety. 59 (4): 5 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Niemeyer, H. H. (1937-08-22). "Making a Touchdown in Movies". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 53. Retrieved 2023-08-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Edith Clasper, in the 1950 United States Federal Census, in the Judson Bell Shafer household on Park Avenue, New York City; via Ancestry.
- ^ Edith Clasper, in the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014; via Ancestry.