Twins Alice and Ellen Kessler have died, they were 89 years old. They died in Grünwald (Germany), near Munich. They achieved great fame in Italy starting in the 1960s, with their ballets and participation in various variety shows on Rai. An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the deaths of both women simultaneously. Bild talks about “assisted suicide“. In Germany, this is allowed under certain conditions. The police will be notified today, after the two women have died. Upon their arrival, officers can only confirm the death, excluding the responsibility of third parties.
Last wish
Seven years ago the twins made a wish: that after their deaths, their ashes would be kept in one urn after their deaths. “Ellen and I would like our ashes to one day be mixed with our mother’s and the three of us could remain together,” Alice Kessler told Bild newspaper. “We have provided for that in our will.” Then a somewhat chilling but perhaps slightly ironic sentence: “Ordinary urns save space. Nowadays we have to save space everywhere. Even in cemeteries.” The urn containing the twins’ mother’s ashes is in the Grünwald cemetery.
Landing on Rai and immediate success
From RAI’s Studio Uno on November 11, 1961 the Kessler twins sang, with the Blackburn twins, the memorable song “Dadaumpa”, set to music by maestro Bruno Canfora with lyrics by Dino Verde. This will be a huge success. What is meant by Dadaumpa? Nothing, it just shows the rhythm on the upbeat, not on the downbeat, as determined by the swing. A small-big innovation that will leave a mark. Twenty years later Dadaumpa would be the variety title that would again propose the huge success of Rai’s variety shows.
They left the GDR before the Wall was built
Born on August 20, 1936 in Nerchau, Saxony, Alice and Ellen left the German Democratic Republic before the Wall was built. They studied as dancers from an early age, obtaining their first job at the age of 16, in 1952, at the Palladium revue theater in Duesseldorf.
From Lido Paris to world tournaments
Two years after the big turning point. Paris Lidò signed them and this contract represented a tremendous turning point for their careers. After the Paris contract expired in 1960, the “German double wonder” (that’s how the twins were called) left for a world tour that took them to all corners of the globe: from New York to Caracas, from Monte Carlo to Barcelona, from Buenos Aires to Sydney, as well as in various international television programs, including some in Italy, and in various film productions.
Two very different characters
Alice, the oldest (she was born half an hour before her sisters) seemed quieter than her sister Ellen. High discipline and professionalism have always been the hallmarks of these two sisters, who have remained in this world successfully for decades. As they celebrated 50 years, German broadcaster Ard paid tribute to them with a special, “Show mal Zwei”.
In 2006 they decided to donate their assets to “Doctors Without Borders”. Despite having a stable relationship, they chose never to get married. Since 1986 they have lived together in a semi-detached house with the same entrance.
