Emma de Sigaldi

Emma de Sigaldi, née Emma Lackner (22 December 1910, Karlsruhe – 23 October 2010, Monaco) was a German-Monegasque ballet dancer and sculptor.

Life Emma Lackner was born on 22 December 1910 in Karlsruhe. As a girl she received classical dance training from Olga Mertens-Leger, Eugenie Eduardova and Tatjana Gsovsky. Later she was also taught expressive dance by Mary Wigman and continued to pursue both directions.

During the World War II Lackner escaped from the bombing raids first to Berlin and from there to her brother in Baden-Baden. There she met Monegasque Count Felix de Sigaldi, whom she married in 1954 and followed him to Monaco. Since that time she lived in Monaco.

Emma de Sigaldi died on 23 October 2010 at the age of 99 in Monaco.

Dancing career At the age of 15 Lackner was hired by the Munich ballet master Heinrich Kröller. In the 1920s and 1930s she appeared as a senior dancer at the Munich National Theater and as solo dancer at the Baden State Theater in Karlsruhe and at the Königsberg Theater. and in Cincinnati, Ohio.

De Sigaldi also became popular in Monte Carlo and made series of works for the city such as "Diver" of the basin and "Life Pillar" of the place of the mills. De Sigaldi’s “Le Prongeur” sculpture can be seen at the Port of Monaco. Her another sculpture “Evolution” was depicted on a post stamp.

De Sigaldi presented her bronze sculpture “Possession” (1995) to her hometown Karlsruhe that was unveiled in 1998 by the Mayor of Karlsruhe, Gerhard Seiler, at its location near the concert hall. On the occasion of de Sigaldi’s 90th birthday in 2010 an exhibition of her works was organized in the foyer of Baden State Theater in Karlsruhe. At the age of 97 de Sigaldi still came to St. Peterburg for the opening of her exhibition.

A biographical film about Emma de Sigaldi was produced by Pierre Remy in 2000.