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“It’ll be a long time, if ever, before another
dancer is born with such a dynamic spirit”

I met Carmen Amaya during the filming of the movie Los Tarantos, in February of 1963 [Sara Lezana played the part of the girlfriend]. At that point she was already a legend in the world of flamenco, and although it’s been forty years since then, the memory continues to be vivid.

Carmen was a petite woman, lean and high-strung, with a great big personality. Her dark eyes drilled right though you. She was a simple earthy person, and very professional in her dancing.

I remember when we were filming on Montjuich, it was horribly cold and she wasn’t feeling well. It was hard work, but she never complained, she ate like a bird, drank a lot of coffee and smoked a great deal. We had to get up at the crack of dawn to go to makeup, she was very concerned about her appearance, always wanted to be pretty, she was something of a coquette and very feminine. She had this youthful character, I’d almost say juvenile in many ways. She wasn’t a cultured woman, but she had the arrogant carriage of someone who had traveled and lived intensely.

”She was very concerned about her appearance, always wanted to be pretty...very feminine”

One of the most interesting memories I have is of when we filmed the famous scene where she sings and dances bulerías on the mountain. That day there were a lot of things going against her, it was bitterly cold and windy, she was ill, and on top of everything else, the small stage they had put for her to dance on was a disaster. Without any warm-up, she did a little rehearsal and they kept the first take. When it was over we were all so taken aback, the whole crew, all the actors and technicians, everyone, we all applauded excitedly, what an impression that made...

Los Tarantos: Sara does palmas for Carmen

When we finished shooting the film the producer organized a dinner for the whole crew, I said goodbye to her and went to Madrid. One day near the end of summer that same year I had a call from Daniel Martín [he played the boyfriend] who asked if I wanted to go up to Bagur to see Carmen because she was very sick, so my mother and I went with him. When we got to that run-down old farmhouse, there she was in the kitchen with her brother Paco, some other relatives and several members of the company. She was sitting on a bench alongside the chimney and she didn’t look well at all. To lift her spirits, her brother said that when she got better they would go to Madrid and open a flamenco tablao.

“Her technique was simple, but her way
of employing it was very complex”

http://www.colitafotografia.com/

That was the last time I saw her alive, in Bagur. A few months later the actors’ union voted Carmen best actress of the year and I collected the prize in her name.

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to see dozens of dancers, both classical and flamenco, but no one ever had such an impact on me as Carmen Amaya. She didn’t really leave a school, but she created and revolutionized the whole concept of dance. Her technique was simple but her way of employing it was very complex. Carmen’s dancing is timeless, her style cannot be imitated.

As the poet might write, “It’ll be a long time, if indeed ever, before another dancer is born with such a dynamic spirit”

Sara Lezana

Next week read part five of the series “Carmen” with the
comments and memories of Pepita Ortega and Teo Morca.

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Carmen Amaya Special.
La Reina Del Embrujo Gitano
(boxset: 2 Cds+ 1 Dvd + Book)

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