Gertrude Barrison

Gertrude Barrison, birth name Gertrud Bareisen, (1880-1946) was a Danish-born singer, dancer and risqué cabaret performer who emigrated to the United States with her family as a child. In the late 1890s, she gained considerable success performing with her four older sisters Lona, Sophia, Inger and Olga, initially in the United States, but later in European cities including Paris, Berlin and Budapest. Together they were known as the Five Sisters Barrison. After they separated, Gertrude continued her career as a dancer and dance teacher based in Vienna. She married the Austrian singer and artist Carl Hollitzer with whom she performed at the city's Nachtlicht and Fledermaus cabarets. They divorced without children in 1910. Barrison continued teaching and presenting solo performances in Europe, eventually moving to Copenhagen in later life.