Who was Carmen Amaya?
Q: Who was Carmen Amaya?
A: Carmen Amaya was a flamenco dancer and singer of gypsy origin, born in the Somorrostro slum of Barcelona, Spain. She has been called "the greatest Spanish gypsy dancer of her generation" and "the most extrardinary personality of all time in flamenco dance".
Q: When did she start dancing?
A: She started dancing from the time she was 4 years old.
Q: Who accompanied her on guitar?
A: Her father accompanied her on guitar when she danced in waterfront bars in Barcelona. A young person who saw her dance as a girl was the Spanish guitarist Sabicas (Agustín Castellón Campos). He later recorded Queen of the Gypsies (1959) and Flamenco! with Amaya.
Q: Where did she make her debut performance?
A: In 1929, she made her debut performance in Paris to warm acclaims and admiration for her dancing skill.
Q: What movies did she act in?
A: She moved to America in 1936, where she went on to act in several movies that broke box office records, including the Romeo and Juliet adaptation Los Tarantos, and the short movie Danzas Gitanas (Gypsy dances).
Q: Why did Amaya often dance wearing trousers instead of skirts?
A: One theory is that she wore trousers instead of skirts to give more scope to her footwork which was exceptional, and rather like a flamenco male dancer. Apparently, early flamenco women didn't do much footwork so male dancers used to fill in steps while sitting unseen on chairs offstage.
Q: How many times did President Roosevelt invite Amaya to perform at The White House?
A: President Roosevelt invited Amaya to perform at The White House twice; once in 1944 and again 1953.
