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Madeleine Rosay

1924 – 1996

Brazilian ballet dancer and TV presenter

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About Madeleine Rosay

Lived 1924 – 1996 (aged 71). Madeleine Rosay was a Brazilian ballet dancer, television presenter and choreographer.

Madeleine Rosay, born Magdalena Rosenzveig (12 October 1924 – 28 July 1996), was a Brazilian ballet dancer and TV presenter.

Life Rosay was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1923 to Polish Jewish parents, David Rosenzveig and Jeannette Kohn. She started to learn to dance at the age of seven under Maria Olinewa. Within four years she was a member of the Theatro Municipal's Academy of Ballet's as a salaried dancer. Her parents were not keen that when she became a professional ballet dancer but they agreed to her arguments of how artistic it was. She was a prima ballerina at the age of fifteen.

She went on to teach at the Theatro Municipal where her students included the singer Sylvia Telles. In 1942 she appeared in an advertisement for Palmolive soap.

In 1947 she married and her husband objected to her dancing. Rosay created a new career in television. She went on to host a version of "What's My Line" which was called "Guess what it does" and it started in Brazil in 1953. She was later the presenter of the programme "Break the Bank".

Films Bonequinha de Seda (1936) Vamos com Calma (1956)

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
born: Magdalena Rosenzveig

People in Madeleine Rosay's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Madeleine Rosay's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Madeleine Rosay?

Brazilian ballet dancer and TV presenter

When was Madeleine Rosay born?

Madeleine Rosay was born on 12 October 1924 in Rio de Janeiro.

When did Madeleine Rosay die?

Madeleine Rosay died on 28 July 1996 in Rio de Janeiro.

What was Madeleine Rosay's occupation?

Madeleine Rosay was a ballet dancer, television presenter and choreographer.

What nationality was Madeleine Rosay?

Madeleine Rosay was Brazilian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Madeleine Rosay

· Wikidata: Q44434448

· DBpedia: Madeleine Rosay

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Madeleine Rosay. https://biography.guide/madeleine-rosay/

MLA: "Madeleine Rosay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/madeleine-rosay/.

Chicago: "Madeleine Rosay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/madeleine-rosay/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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