Alice and Ellen Kessler (born 20 August 1936 in Nerchau, Germany) are
twins known in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, from the 1950s
and 1960s and until today for their singing, dancing, and acting. They
are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in
Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy), and remain popular today.In
the US, they were not as popular but appeared in the 1963 film Sodom
and Gomorrah as dancers and appeared on the cover of Life Magazine in
that year. They made their American television debut on 12 February
1963 on the Red Skelton Hour, acting in his comedy sketch and dancing
and singing a duet.Their parents, Paul and Elsa, sent them to ballet
classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child
ballet program at age 11. When they were 18, their parents used a
visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where they performed at the
Palladium in Düsseldorf. They performed at The Lido in Paris between
1955 and 1960, and represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision
Song Contest, finishing in 8th place with Heute Abend wollen wir
tanzen geh'n (Tonight we want to go dancing).They moved to Italy in
1960 and gradually moved to more serious roles. At the age of 40, they
agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That
issue became the fastest-selling Italian Playboy up until that point.
twins known in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, from the 1950s
and 1960s and until today for their singing, dancing, and acting. They
are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in
Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy), and remain popular today.In
the US, they were not as popular but appeared in the 1963 film Sodom
and Gomorrah as dancers and appeared on the cover of Life Magazine in
that year. They made their American television debut on 12 February
1963 on the Red Skelton Hour, acting in his comedy sketch and dancing
and singing a duet.Their parents, Paul and Elsa, sent them to ballet
classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child
ballet program at age 11. When they were 18, their parents used a
visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where they performed at the
Palladium in Düsseldorf. They performed at The Lido in Paris between
1955 and 1960, and represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision
Song Contest, finishing in 8th place with Heute Abend wollen wir
tanzen geh'n (Tonight we want to go dancing).They moved to Italy in
1960 and gradually moved to more serious roles. At the age of 40, they
agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That
issue became the fastest-selling Italian Playboy up until that point.
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