Madeleine Rosay
Brazilian ballet dancer and TV presenter
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)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
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
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
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:01 UTC