Etta Pillard

Etta Pillard, born Henrietta Freda Pillard on September 3, 1888, in Buffalo, New York, was an American vaudeville, burlesque, and Broadway performer active from the 1910s through the 1920s. The daughter of John V. Pillard and Alvena Ahrens Pillard, she began performing on stage while still in her teens.

Pillard became best known as one half of a novelty dancing duo with her husband George Stone, whom she married in 1911. Billed as the "Dancing Demons," the pair performed in vaudeville and burlesque programs throughout the 1910s and 1920s. A 1914 newspaper account noted that as a dancing team, Stone and Pillard had no equal. Their partnership extended beyond performance: in the 1920s, the two starred together in Flappers of 1925 and Flappers of 1926, for which they maintained their own company.

Pillard's stage appearances spanned a range of musical productions, including The Social Maids, The Wizard of Oz, The Ragdoll of Ragland, The Rose of Algeria, Babes in Toyland, Busy Little Cupid, and The Jolly Bachelors. Her Broadway career ran from 1910 to 1923 and included the musical Artists and Models.

Pillard spoke candidly about the demands of burlesque performance in interviews, arguing that reducing performers to two shows a day would yield better results for managers and greater satisfaction for the performers themselves. She also offered practical advice on the logistics of quick costume changes, recommending that showgirls plan and assemble their outfits in advance.

Following George Stone's death in 1939, Pillard and her brother Jack operated Stone's Tavern in Baldwin, New York, which was advertised as the Show Place of Baldwin. Stone had previously run a roadside cafe in Nassau County during the 1930s. Pillard continued to reside in Baldwin with her mother until at least 1947.