La Polaca

Known for ActingBorn 1944-06-16Died 2010-06-02Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Josefa Cotillo Martínez, La Polaca, (Madrid, June 16, 1944 - Seville, June 2, 2010) was a Spanish dancer and actress. She was born in the Lavapiés neighborhood of Madrid. After leaving her studies at the age of ten, she began to dedicate herself to flamenco dancing and created her own style in an absolutely self-taught way. At the age of twelve, she made her debut as a professional in the play “La Parrilla”, at the Alcázar theater in Madrid. At the age of sixteen, she went to America as part of the company of the dancer José Greco, in which she quickly became one of the main figures. Her nickname is attributed to her dancing a Polish dance. At the end of the fifties she toured the Soviet Union, Europe, and the United States, where she appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and performed before President Kennedy. Back in Spain, she consolidated her upward career with successive tours and reached the status of leading figure in flamenco ballets such as “Los canasteros” and “Las brujas”. She made her film debut in 1965 with the film “Con el viento solano”, by Mario Camus. Throughout the seventies she participated in various titles giving life to passionate characters through which she frequently exhibited her dancing skills. Among the films in which she intervenes are “El amor brujo” (1967), by Rovira-Beleta; “The Secretaries” (1969), by Pedro Lazaga; and “Del amor y la muerte” (1977), by Antonio Giménez-Rico. In 1978 she appeared as a judge on the dance contest “Fiebre del 2”, a Mexican program on Televisa. At the turn of the decade, in the eighties, her career began to decline, although she would still participate in Carlos Saura's new version of El amor brujo (1986).Read more

Movies & web series

Hurrah for Adventure!

The Lonely Heart

Delusions of Grandeur

El amor brujo

Canciones de nuestra vida

The Godfather and His Goddaughters

Si estás muerto, ¿por qué bailas?

The Last Meeting

With the East Wind

La boda o la vida

Bewitched Love

Verano 70

Las secretarias

El abominable hombre de la Costa del Sol

Españolear

Rum Runners

Del amor y de la muerte