2013 has been named the Year of Carmen Amaya, because it’s been 50 years without her, and probably it would be her 100 Anniversary. I say probably because the accurate date of her birth is one more of the details that make her a legend.
It’s impossible to sum up such a character in only a few lines, but recently I’ve been reading a lot about her and as a consequence I would really like to highlight some of the features of this special and unforgettable women.
Did you know that she and her large family were living in the United States for more than 6 years, making a big fortune and participating in a lot of different Hollywood films? But, what is better, did you know that all this success started by coincidence?: It was “La Argentina” the one who had a contract with the Impresario Sol Hurok for a tour of the United States; but she started to feel ill and then Hurok was told about a gypsy dancer performing in Mexico….so he went there to check her out and Carmen made a huge impact on him. She and her 25 members of her family moved to New York where she had to create a whole repertoire for the Carnegie Hall where she would have to perform for the first time only 6 months later.
During those 6 months, she made herself a name dancing at the “Beachcomber”, a fashion night club frequented by all the celebrities of the time, who got spellbound by her strength and personality, so by the time she opened at the Carnegie Hall, she was already famous and the event was a total success.
Nobody could help falling at her feet…what were the reasons that made her so attractive?? Well, apart from being a gypsy from Spain in NY which made her look like an exotic animal, she was a very tiny little woman becoming a hurricane in every performance –It is said that she started to use trousers to hide her super skinny legs-. Her foot work was pure and technically perfect, and controlled from the beginning to the end. Even the improvisations were controlled. Besides she added an incredible musical quality to the stamping never heard before. At the same time, she usually had novel theatrical ideas and an innovative approach to the show.
To sum up, I’ll quote Jonatan Miró (collector and admirer) who says that those who were lucky enough to watch her perform, could feel “electricity; the audience was glued to the chair overwhelmed by the strength and intensity of her dance”. For all these reasons, it’s normal that journalists gave her different nicknames such as “The Spanish atomic bomb” .
I’m showing here only one of the large number of videos you can watch on you tube, as a sample of how everything around her got shaken up as soon as she appeared! Enjoy it!
It’s impossible to sum up such a character in only a few lines, but recently I’ve been reading a lot about her and as a consequence I would really like to highlight some of the features of this special and unforgettable women.
Did you know that she and her large family were living in the United States for more than 6 years, making a big fortune and participating in a lot of different Hollywood films? But, what is better, did you know that all this success started by coincidence?: It was “La Argentina” the one who had a contract with the Impresario Sol Hurok for a tour of the United States; but she started to feel ill and then Hurok was told about a gypsy dancer performing in Mexico….so he went there to check her out and Carmen made a huge impact on him. She and her 25 members of her family moved to New York where she had to create a whole repertoire for the Carnegie Hall where she would have to perform for the first time only 6 months later.
During those 6 months, she made herself a name dancing at the “Beachcomber”, a fashion night club frequented by all the celebrities of the time, who got spellbound by her strength and personality, so by the time she opened at the Carnegie Hall, she was already famous and the event was a total success.
Nobody could help falling at her feet…what were the reasons that made her so attractive?? Well, apart from being a gypsy from Spain in NY which made her look like an exotic animal, she was a very tiny little woman becoming a hurricane in every performance –It is said that she started to use trousers to hide her super skinny legs-. Her foot work was pure and technically perfect, and controlled from the beginning to the end. Even the improvisations were controlled. Besides she added an incredible musical quality to the stamping never heard before. At the same time, she usually had novel theatrical ideas and an innovative approach to the show.
To sum up, I’ll quote Jonatan Miró (collector and admirer) who says that those who were lucky enough to watch her perform, could feel “electricity; the audience was glued to the chair overwhelmed by the strength and intensity of her dance”. For all these reasons, it’s normal that journalists gave her different nicknames such as “The Spanish atomic bomb” .
I’m showing here only one of the large number of videos you can watch on you tube, as a sample of how everything around her got shaken up as soon as she appeared! Enjoy it!
RSS Feed
