Germany's Kessler twins, dance stars, die at 89

The twin sisters' deaths in Grünwald, an affluent suburb of Munich, where they shared a home, were reported on Monday by the German newspaper Bild and the news agency dpa, citing unnamed sources. Munich police confirmed the deaths on Tuesday, saying in an emailed statement that it was a "joint suicide."

The Kessler twins learned to dance at a young age and joined the Leipzig Opera Children's Ballet. In 1952, when they were 16, their family fled to West Germany, where they danced in a revue theater in Düsseldorf. In 1955, the director of the Lido cabaret theater in Paris discovered them, launching their international career.

In the 1960s, the Kessler twins toured the world, moving to Rome and performing with Astaire, Sinatra, and Belafonte. According to DPA, they turned down an offer to perform with Elvis Presley in "Viva Las Vegas" in 1964 because they feared that musical films would not establish their identity in America.

Even at the age of 80, the sisters appeared on stage in a musical play. Shortly before her 80th birthday, Alice said she probably wouldn't be able to perform solo for so long.

Being a twosome “only has advantages,” she said. “Together you're stronger.”

Asked about the secret of their success, she remarked: “Discipline, every day. Gratitude, time and again. Humility, not cockiness. And togetherness. Until death.”