Marie Bonfanti

Anna Maria Felicita Bonfanti, known professionally as Marie or Marietta Bonfanti, was an Italian-born American ballet dancer who lived from 1845 to 1921. She was married to George Hoffman.

Bonfanti launched her New York City career at Niblo's Garden, making her debut there on Monday, September 10, 1866. Two days after that debut, she took on the role of prima ballerina in The Black Crook at the same theatre, a production that also marked the beginning of her Broadway career. Her Broadway work spanned from 1866 to 1871 and included a starring role in The Hunchback in addition to her celebrated appearance in The Black Crook.

Beyond her Broadway engagements, Bonfanti continued performing in New York City venues into the following decades. On July 15, 1882, she appeared in Sylvia, a work by Léo Delibes, at the Metropolitan Alcazar concert hall. In August 1901, she performed alongside Rita Sangalli at the Metropolitan Opera House during that venue's inaugural season of ballet.

Bonfanti also worked as a dance instructor, counting Ruth Saint Denis and Isadora Duncan among her students for a period of time. Her expressive dancing style and personal life attracted broad press coverage from the mid-1860s through the early twentieth century.