WHO ARE THEY?
After watching BORN TO DANCE, I was intrigued by the dancing duo Georges and Jalna who,in a night club setting, with Virginia Bruce and James Stewart looking on, performed Cole Porter’s “I’ve got you Under my Skin” beautifully .
I’ve tried in vain to find out anything about this duo.Not even IMDB could help. Did they appear in any other films?
Georges and Jalna appearing at the Palmer House in Chicago in 1936.
The dancers were in Miami in 1937.
Vienna's Classic Hollywood 
Very interesting, Vienna! I’ve just done a bit of googling too and haven’t come up with much either – the BFI has a filmography for them which is just one line, only listing this performance. So looks as if they mainly worked on stage – but surely there must be some information about them somewhere. There are quite a few talented people who turn up in musicals for one or two great numbers, but still seem to be unknowns.
I find it hard to believe that there is no other film of their work. I too was captivated by their dancing in “Born to Dance”
Thanks for checking,Judy. I’m just curious about their career and whether this was their only film appearance.
George and Jalna Toregas (Georges & Jalna) performed for many years at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC with Xavier Cugat’s orchestra. Jalna is alive and well today at the age of 103.
Thank you so much.How marvellous that Jalna is still alive.
I have a very lovely professional photo of Jalna you might enjoy, but not sure how to upload to your blog.
That’s kind of you, but not sure how you upload photo. Thanks anyway.
Jalna and Georges are my grandparents. I believe my grandfather Georges was only in this one movie. He danced mainly on stage. However, my grand mother, Jalna has been dancing since a small child. At fifteen she graduated high school and went to California. She was in movies as a dancer. She has such great stories of stage and movie performances. She has lived a wonderful life. She is 102 years young and will turn 102 in August. my grandparents are the most amazing people.
How can I contact Sara Toregas-Limon? I’m a dance historian looking to contact Jalna.
Thank you!
Sorry, I can’t help you.
Thanks for creating this forum ! I just saw ‘Born to Dance’, tuned in just as Georges & Jaina began to dance. I was mesmerized ! Wow,, I could not take my eyes off of them. Thankfully, I recorded the film so I can watch them over and over. And now I see that their granddaughter has posted with a bit of the history of her grandparents. Thank you, Sara ! I can just imagine the wonderful stories your grandparents had. They were sooo beautiful…. made dancing look as natural as swallows when they fly.
How wonderful. Thank you so much for getting in touch.
Sara Limon is my daughter…You can reach her through me – Georges and Jalna are my parents…they were vacationing in Calif. when they got a call from the director of “Born to Dance”, asking them to dance to a song that was going to be pushed for the Academy Award…the song was “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, still popular today…I have many stories about them, if anyone is interested…
Thank you so much for getting in touch.I would love to hear more about your parents. And the movies and stage shows your mother was in.
She is very alive at 103. Jalna is currently residing in Romney, WV.
Thank you for that information.
Hello! My name is Emily. I am Jalna and Georges great-granddaughter. I never met Georges, as he passed away before I was born, but I’ve had many great experiences with Jalna. We call her Mal. She turned 103 last August, and recently just passed away; a true miracle. A stunning woman, with an even more stunning history.
Thank you for getting in touch. I am very sorry to hear of Jalna’s passing.
Jalna Toregas passed away on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Ironically, one day short of my father’s birthday, March 22. He passed away in 1977. I will leave my e-mail address at this site. Don’t know how it might be offered to anyone that might be interested in stories that include Mickey Rooney, Ozzie & Harriet, Xavier and Carmen Cugat, Frank Nitty, Leo Carrillo & Duncan Renaldo (Cisco Kid & Pancho) and many more.
I see that e-mail addresses are never made public. I will post some of the stories when I have a spare moment.
I am very sorry to hear of your loss.
I would welcome any stories you may wish to tell us.
HI George, I am Gail Wolf Copeland. Thomas J. Wolf & my GGrandfather, George W. Wolf were brothers. I would love to get any stories you have on your parents. I have tried off and on over the years to find something about them on the internet without any luck – only that they dance at Born to Dance. Today I found your mothers obit. I am sorry to hear about her passing. My mother passed last June. She was 92. Then I found this website and the messages that were left. Please contact me at gcopeland@q.com or my address is 420 Coffman Rd, Whitewater, Co 81527. I would love to hear from you. I think we would be third cousins if I did my calculating right. Gail
For the Toregas Family,
Today I was watching “Born to Dance (1936)” when George and Jalna did their spotlight dance number. I went to Google them and came upon this website. George and Jalna Toregas are now immortalized in film and is a terrific tribute to a very talented and lovely couple. I’m sure they had a millions stories of their personal behind the scenes experiences in the Golden Age of entertainment industry. I would hope that their lives are written about to further cement their place among the stars. I celebrate their lives and the very best of wishes to all of their descendants.
Thank you for your comment. It has been wonderful to hear from the family.
I just saw “Born to Dance” today (9/11/2015), and was especially struck by the beauty of Georges and Jalna’s movement. Perfect emotionally, the harmony of their movement, the set and music combined to make a magnificent moment of movie dance. I am so happy to have found this site and learn a little about them. A few years ago, I enjoyed seeing a compilation of movie dance, followed by a Q&A with significant movie dancers and choreographers in Hollywood at a SAG event (I believe it was). It would seem to me that SAG would be especially interested in Georges and Jalna’s stories.
They were wonderful. I had hoped we would hear more about them.
Their dance is the best part of that film. I hope someone writes down their stories before they are lost. Perhaps TCM would be interested.
It would be wonderful if one of their descendants, George or Sara, or others would post the obit as source material and add some stories and biographical information to Wikipedia. Then it might get more widely distributed. I’m sure many, many people watch this movie and this is the burning question at its conclusion, ” who were Georges and Jalna”?
A biography would be great.
Georges and Jalna were one of a kind…There will never be another…Their performance in the movie “born to Dance” was so magnificent that words could never describe the perfection they projected…..and no one in Hollywood then or now could duplicate that beautiful elegance every again…..God bless them…
Great team.
Their dance in “Born To Dance” is one of my most favorite dance moments.
It is beautiful.
Wow, Georges & Jalna’s dance in “Born to Dance” is among the most beautiful dance routines I’ve ever seen. I looked them up and found them here. I think TCM would definitely be interested in a story about them. I hope the family gets in touch again.
You’re right. It would be wonderful if TCM did a documentary on them.
Ahhh. I did the same, Michelle! Just finished watching “Born to dance” and googled them. And here I am.
Amazingly how beautifully this blog post developed.
Thanks for stopping by, Marina. I too am delighted at the response.
Ever since I was a small child I told everyone I wanted to be a ballroom dancer. If am 75 years old now and if I can ever have a chance of a second life, I want to be Jalna.
So beautifully she moves, graceful, lovely, feminme. Yes, to dance like her would be a dream come true. I have never seem a more beautiful dancer.
I don’t know who might be following this thread at this late date, but George Toregas, the son of Georges and Jalna who replied above, passed away Jan 2, 2017. He was my second cousin. I hope he managed to pass those stories on to someone!
Lovely to hear from you and your connection to the family. When I posted the picture I never expected such a great response.
Susan, I believe you contacted me in June right before I moved from Colorado to Missouri. I can not get the email you sent now because my old email and my new email accounts are not working. I know I was going to contact you after the move and thought maybe I made a copy of your email but cant not find one. Please contact me again. My address is 4019 Dewberry Drive, Jefferson City, Mo 65109. Would love to hear from you. Gail Copeland
I could watch this performance forever – probably the most beautiful performance I have ever seen. Stunning – perfection. I cannot accept that there are no other clips of this fabulous dance team .
I have seen Georges and Jalna in another movie. I believe it was a Alice Faye and Don Ameche movie. It was marvelous sorry I never taped it. Sorry I did not tape “Born to Dance” I am a Ballroom Dancer and Artist so appreciate their dancing so much.
Would like info and tape of their dances. Reply
Diane D. Toregas, daughter of Georges by his first wife (not Jalna) passed away this June 24, 2020. Her burial was yesterday, July 2, 2020
Sorry to hear this sad news.