By Rene Torres
When the call for auditions was made for the 1934 movie “Sweet Adeline,” hundreds of girls from throughout the country made their way to Warner Brothers Studios in California and Brownsville’s daughter, Sonya Kowalski was one of them.
Sonya’s dream of becoming a famous dancer started when she attended this city’s Incarnate Word Academy, a Catholic school then located at 714 E. St. Charles Street.
As the passion for dancing continued she left Brownsville to further her studies and dancing to attend Incarnate Word College in San Antonio.
She had the innate ability for rhythm that many wished they had, but, it could be said that genetics had something to do with her stage presence.
Sonya was a direct descendent of the famous Paris-born pianist and composer, known as “Prince of the Pianoforte,” Henri Kowalski.
After leaving San Antonio, her career progressed to the point that, by the late 1920's, she appeared with Russian born ballet dancer, choreographer and actor, Theodore Kosloff, in concert performances in Ravel’s “Bolero.”
By 1928, Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero,” was regarded as the world’s most frequently played piece of classical music.
The Brownsville dancer had already attainted success before her trials for “Sweet Adeline.”
The impressive brunette was a natural and Warner Bros. could spot talent when they saw it.
Sonya was soon after chosen as a specially dancer in one of the most famous musicals of the era.
Although Sonya had many stage performances to her credit, this was the first opportunity given to her to showcase her talent in the movies.
Winning a spot in one of the most important musical productions of the year was a milestone.
And now, Brownsville movie buffs could see one of their own on the movie screen at the Capitol Theater.
“Sweet Adeline,” set during the Spanish-American war with Irene Dunne, who sang beautiful numbers written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein.
Some of the songs included: The Polka Dot; Here I Am; We Were So Young; Why I Was Born; Oriental Moon; Lonely Feet and Pretty little Kitty Lee, to name a few.
The dances for “Sweet Adeline,” were staged by Bobby Connolly, famous Broadway director, who selected only eight dancers from hundreds for special routines, among them Sonya Kowalski.
Perhaps she was no Ginger Rogers, or never had a partner like Fred Astaire, but just like Ginger, “she did everything her partner did, only backwards and in high heels.”
A beautiful brunette, 5 feet and 4 inches in height, Miss Kowalski was considered one of the most striking looking girls on the Warner roster.
Weighing 118 pounds, adorned with charcoal black hair and deep brown eyes, along with a solid pair of legs, she was poetry in motion and made for the stage.
Robert Brault said, “Dancing is moving to the music without stepping on anyone’s toes, pretty much the same as life.”
Photo: Sonya Kowalski, Brownsville girl, in rehearsal costume
Photo 2: Herald ad Kowalski School of Dance
118 pounds !!! Terrific.
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