Ilse Meudtner

German diver Ilse Meudtner finished an unfortunate fourth in the springboard event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games. In 1929, the daughter of a pastry baker, started her dance training with coaches Berthe Trümpy and Vera Skoronel, in whose chamber dance group she performed. In 1932 she toured with her dance group around America, and on the tour she occasionally appeared as a diver.

Between 1934-40 she became prima donna at the Berlin State Opera. In addition, she organized her own dances and tours, and starred in feature films. During World War II she made guest performances for officers and soldiers. After World War II, she married Dutchman Egbert van Putten, but never changed her name. She did, however, obtain Dutch citizenship and toured throughout Europe and studied Spanish Dance for a year in the dance schools of Madrid and Sevilla, and in 1949 took part in a Spanish dance program in Germany.

From 1951-54 she was a member as a solo dancer and prima donna of the Komische Oper in Berlin. There she choreographed Der Dreispitz, Pavane auf den Tod einer Infantin, Boléro, Der verzauberte Vogel and Der Stralsunder Fischzug (“The Tricorn”, “Pavane for a Dead Infanta”, “Boléro”, “The Enchanted Bird” and “The Stralsunder Haul”). In 1955 she retired from her dancing career after an injury. In 1964, she settled in Madrid and lived as a journalist. Several times she reported for the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit about people and places in Spain.