La Polaca

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Josefa Cotillo Martínez , known by her stage name La Polaca , (born June 16, 1944 in Madrid , † June 2, 2010 in Seville ) was a Spanish dancer and actress .

Life

Josefa Cotillo Martínez was born in the Lavapiés district of Madrid . She started dancing at the age of ten. She made her debut at the age of twelve in the play La parrilla at the Teatro Alcázar in Madrid. In the early 1960s she became a member of José Greco's famous dance company , in which she quickly developed into one of the leading flamenco dancers of her time. Josefa Cotillo Martínez was known for her “natural elegance” and for her “sensual way” of interpreting flamenco, which earned her criticism from some dance purists.

She went on a successful American tour with José Greco's company . She performed on the Ed Sullivan Show and danced at a gala event in the presence of then American President John F. Kennedy . Further tours through Europe and the Soviet Union followed. After her return to Spain she had great success in the flamenco dance productions Los Canasteros and Las Brujas .

From the mid-1960s, Josefa Cotillo Martínez also played roles in film and television . She made her cinema debut in 1965 as a prostitute, singer and dancer in the film drama Con el viento solano by Mario Camus . She achieved international fame and film fame in 1967 through her participation in the dance drama Liebeszauber ( El amor brujo ) at the side of the dancer Antonio Gades . Manuel de Falla's music had been adapted for the film by Ernesto Halffter and was interpreted on guitar by Narciso Yepes . For her performance, Cotillo Martínez received the Best Actress Award at the New York Film Festival 1967.

In the further course of her film career, she played in the films Las secretarias (1969) by Pedro Lazaga and Del amor y de la muerte (1977) by Antonio Giménez Rico . In 1986 she took part in the new version of El amor brujo , in Carlos Saura's film version Liebeszauber . She had a guest appearance on German television as the gypsy Esmeralda in an episode of the cult crime series Percy Stuart .

There are various legends about the origin of her artist name : One refers to a Latin American tour by the artist, during which she is said to have performed a Polish dance. Another variant says that as a child she could not pronounce some words, which is why her family teased her with the remark that she spoke Polish.

Josefa Cotillo Martínez lived with her husband in Tomares in the province of Seville for the last five years of their life . She died of lung cancer .

Filmography (selection)

  • 1965: Con el viento solano
  • 1967: El amor brujo
  • 1969: Las secretarias
  • 1970: Holidays in Gold (Des vacances en or)
  • 1971: Rum Street (Boulevard du Rhum)
  • 1971: The stupid pranks of the rich (La folie des grandeurs)
  • 1972: Percy Stuart
  • 1977: Del amor y de la muerte
  • 1986: Love spell (El amor brujo)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Flamenco dancer Josefa Cotillo has died. Press release by the dpa in: Focus from June 3, 2010
  2. ↑ Josefa Cotillo died at the age of 65 APA press release of June 3, 2010 (with photo of a fan postcard)


personal data
SURNAME La Polaca
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cotillo Martínez, Maria Josefa (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish dancer and actress
DATE OF BIRTH June 16, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Madrid , Spain
DATE OF DEATH June 2, 2010
Place of death Seville , Spain