King, Mazie (b. around 1880)

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King, Mazie (b. around 1880)

American innovative toe dancer. Born c. 1880; m. John Leonard (died 1908).

Began career at young age; made NY debut in Leonard and Gilmore's Hogan's Alley (1896) as principal specialty dancer; performed toe dances at NY's roof gardens; performed in revue The Mimic World (1908), where she imitated Bessie Clayton; appeared in numerous vaudeville and Broadway productions including Lew Fields' The Hen-Pecks and The Midnight Sons; walked down 1,000 steps of NY's Metropolitan Tower on point, for which she received so much publicity that she had to repeat the feat in high buildings in the many cities she toured; performed ballet and exhibition ballroom dances known as The Spirit of Spring and appeared with Mazie King's Terpsichorean Beauties, one of the most popular dance acts in vaudeville.

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