Doraldina

Doraldina (1888–1936) was an American dancer, actress, and film performer whose career spanned stage and screen in the early twentieth century. Born Dora Saunders, she took the name Doraldina professionally and became known to audiences through her association with Hawaiian-themed performance. She was among the performers contracted to Metro Pictures during the silent film era.

Her path to prominence began in San Francisco, where she worked as a manicurist in a hotel before pursuing a career in dance. She undertook formal dance training in New York City and subsequently in Barcelona, Spain, before returning to New York to build her professional life. Over time she established herself as a dancer, stage actress, and screen performer.

Doraldina's Broadway career ran from 1916 to 1920 and encompassed four productions. Her stage credits included the musical Step This Way, the plays The Red Dawn and The Road to Mandalay, and the revue Frivolities of 1920.

Her film work ran concurrently with her stage appearances. She appeared in The Naulahka in 1918 and The Woman Untamed in 1920. Her first Metro Pictures production was Passion Fruit, released in 1921. Despite opportunities to take on dramatic acting roles in her films, she continued to incorporate the Hawaiian settings and dance styles with which her audiences had become familiar.

Doraldina died in 1936 of a heart attack.