Loda Halama

Loda Halama was a Polish dancer, actress, choreographer, and primabalerina of Grand Theatre, Warsaw. She was born in 1911 in Czerwińsk nad Wisłą, Poland, as Leokadia Halama, the daughter of a dancer and a musician. She had a passion for dancing since childhood and took lessons from Bronisława Niżyńska in Saint Petersburg. She started her career in 1927 with her family ensemble Siostry Halama, performing in various theatres and cabarets in Warsaw. She became a classical ballet dancer in 1929 and a primabalerina in 1934. She also appeared in several films, such as Prokurator Alicja Horn (1933), Love, Cherish, Respect (1934), and A Diplomatic Wife (1937). Her international fame began in Paris, where she was introduced by Ignacy Jan Paderewski. She also performed in the United States and Japan. During World War II, she was involved in the resistance movement and escaped to Switzerland and then to the United Kingdom. She later settled in Los Angeles, where she worked as a dance teacher and choreographer. She returned to Poland permanently in 1985, although she also lived in London. She published her memoirs in 1984, titled Moje nogi i ja (My legs and I). She died in 1996 in Warsaw, Poland, at the age of 84. She was buried at Powązki Cemetery. She was honored with the Award of the Capital City of Warsaw in 1996 for her contribution to the culture of Warsaw. She was married five times and had one son, Georges Golembiowski Jr., who became a film producer. She was the sister of Zizi and Alicja, who were also dancers and actresses.