# Waldeen Falkenstein

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Waldeen_Falkenstein
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Waldeen_Falkenstein.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldeen_Falkenstein
> Source revision: 1302445477
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Waldeen Falkenstein Waldeen Falkenstein, from a 1933 publication Born (1913-02-01)February 1, 1913 Dallas, United States Died August 18, 1993(1993-08-18) (aged 80) Cuernavaca, Mexico Awards José Limón Award (1988)

**Waldeen (von) Falkenstein**[1]**Brooke de Zatz**[2] better known as "Waldeen" (February 1, 1913 – August 18, 1993) was an [American](/source/United_States)-born [dancer](/source/Dancer) and [choreographer](/source/Choreographer). Together with [Anna Sokolow](/source/Anna_Sokolow), [Alicia Markova](/source/Alicia_Markova), [Anton Dolin](/source/Anton_Dolin_(ballet_dancer)) and [Michel Descombey](/source/Michel_Descombey), she belongs to the great precursors of modern [Mexican](/source/Mexico) dance.[3]

## Biography

Waldeen was born in [Dallas](/source/Dallas). Her father, an engraver, and her mother, a pianist, greatly encouraged Waldeen to explore the arts from a young age. Due to this, among other influences, she developed a dream of becoming a [ballet](/source/Ballet) dancer, and said she never wanted to do anything else.[4] She spent the better part of her youth training under [Theodore Kosloff](/source/Theodore_Kosloff) in Los Angeles, where he recognized her talent early and invited her to tour with his ballet company.[5] Her first solo performance, done at age 13, was for the [Los Angeles Opera Company](/source/Los_Angeles_Opera_Company).[6] She joined the Japanese choreographer [Seki Sano](/source/Seki_Sano) when he moved to Mexico. She taught and performed in Los Angeles in the early 1930s.[7] She returned to Mexico with the dancer [Winifred Widener](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winifred_Widener&action=edit&redlink=1) to [Mexico City](/source/Mexico_City) in 1939, where they danced at the theater of fine arts ([Spanish](/source/Spanish_language): *Teatro de Bellas Artes*). She was ordered to establish the *Ballet de Bellas Artes*, the ballet group of the theater, which she led until it was dissolved in 1947. At this time she had also an affair with [Bodo Uhse](/source/Bodo_Uhse) and lived together with him, before he married Alma Agee.[8]

Waldeen married Rodolfo Valencia, a theater director, and was invited by the revolutionary government of [Cuba](/source/Cuba), where she stood from 1962 to 1965. In 1966 she established a further ballet company, known as the "Waldeen Ballet". Notable dancers of the company were [Guillermina Bravo](/source/Guillermina_Bravo) and [Ana Mérida](/source/Ana_M%C3%A9rida).[9][10]

In 1988, she received the inaugural [José Limón National Dance Award](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Lim%C3%B3n_National_Contemporary_Dance_Award).[11]

She died in [Cuernavaca](/source/Cuernavaca).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Falkenstein_1-0)** also findable under *Falkestein*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Thesaurus_2-0)** [*Waldeen, 1913, 1993*](http://enbc.asp.visard.ca/Record.htm?Record=10141557146929697399&idlist=1) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706213224/http://enbc.asp.visard.ca/Record.htm?Record=10141557146929697399&idlist=1) July 6, 2011, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) (French), Bibliothèque de la danse de l'ESBCM.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Biennale_3-0)** [*25th Biennial Conference of ICKL*](http://www.ickl.org/conf07_mexico/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081207113145/http://www.ickl.org/conf07_mexico/) December 7, 2008, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Also a published poet, Waldeen was an important early translator of the poetry of [Pablo Neruda](http://www.jonathancohenweb.com/waldeen.html), who said to her: "Waldeen, thank you, for your poems of my poems, which are better than mine."

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Waldeen and the Americas"](https://www.jonathancohenweb.com/waldeen.html). *www.jonathancohenweb.com*. Retrieved April 29, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Waldeen and the Americas"](https://www.jonathancohenweb.com/waldeen.html). *www.jonathancohenweb.com*. Retrieved April 29, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Waldeen and the Americas"](https://www.jonathancohenweb.com/waldeen.html). *www.jonathancohenweb.com*. Retrieved April 29, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [*Who's who in music and dance in Southern California*](https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinmusicda00holl). University of California Libraries. Hollywood : Bureau of Musical Research. 1933. pp. [190](https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinmusicda00holl/page/190).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: others ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others)) CS1 maint: publisher location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_publisher_location))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Uhse_8-0)** Kristin Silcher. [*Bodo Uhse: Sonntagsträumerei in der Alameda*](http://golm.rz.uni-potsdam.de/Mexiko/Rabe/bodo_alameda.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070606102311/http://golm.rz.uni-potsdam.de/Mexiko/Rabe/bodo_alameda.htm) June 6, 2007, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) (German), Berlin, 1961.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mujers_9-0)** ["*Von Falkestein, Waldeen*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090312035452/http://www.e-mujeres.gob.mx/wb2/eMex/eMex_V?page=2). Archived from [the original](http://www.e-mujeres.gob.mx/wb2/eMex/eMex_V?page=2) on March 12, 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-UNAM_10-0)** [*Waldeen*](http://www.danza.unam.mx/personaje_pags/waldeen.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090430211226/http://www.danza.unam.mx/personaje_pags/waldeen.htm) April 30, 2009, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Dirreción de Danza UNAM, Mexico City.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Este domingo, el 28º Premio Nacional de Danza José Limón a Cecilia Appleton"](https://web.archive.org/web/20250123004857/http://www.culturasinaloa.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6736:este-domingo-el-28-premio-nacional-de-danza-jose-limon-a-cecilia-appleton&catid=35&Itemid=168) [This Sunday, the 25th José Limón National Dance Award to Cecilia Appleton] (in Spanish). Culiacán: Instituto Sinaloense de Cultura. April 11, 2015. Archived from [the original](http://www.culturasinaloa.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6736:este-domingo-el-28-premio-nacional-de-danza-jose-limon-a-cecilia-appleton&catid=35&Itemid=168) on January 23, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2020.

## External links

- [Waldeen](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2981696/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- Jonathan Cohen: [Waldeen and the Americas: The Dance Has Many Faces](http://www.jonathancohenweb.com/waldeen.html)

- ["Ballet Waldeen"](http://www.idancedb.com/file.php5?id=10264). *Internet Dance Database*.

- Deborah Smith: [Terpsichore's Daughter](https://www.amazon.com/Terpsichores-Daughter-Deborah-Smith-ebook/dp/B006103WIK). *Authorized biography of Waldeen.*

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Israel

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Waldeen Falkenstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldeen_Falkenstein) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldeen_Falkenstein?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.