''Ona kad pleše, vibrira od glave do pete, grči se, trese se i uspravlja u glumačkoj oholosti, a čelična stopala joj zveckaju zaglušujućim bijesom, opsjednuta krešendom gitare''

Ove riječi, koje je 1929. godine napisao umjetnički kritičar Sebastiá Gasch, opisivale su jedinstveni talent i vrijednosti umjetnice Carmen Amaya, koja je postala vjerojatno najpoznatija flamenko ‘bailaora’ (plesačica) na svijetu. Njezina strast i predanost flamencu, zajedno s urođenom umjetničkom sposobnošću i besprijekornim izvođenjem, donijeli su joj razinu međunarodnog priznanja koja je i danas nenadmašna.

Carmen Amaya rođena je u barakama El Somorrostro u Barceloni, u čijem susjedstvu živi puno Roma, negdje između 1913. i 1918. godine. Datum je još uvijek sporan. Kao što objašnjava povjesničar Montse Madrilejos, u to je vrijeme bilo uobičajeno da Romi nisu kršteni niti registrirani pri rođenju, što vjerojatno objašnjava zbrku. U vrlo mladoj dobi počela je pjevati i plesati rame uz rame s Franciscom Amayom, svojim ocem i siromašnim gitaristom koji je svirao po gradu u zamjenu za milostinju. 

Još u vrlo mladoj dobi, poslovni čovjek José Sampere primijetio je njezin talent i pružio joj priliku da nastupi u Teatru Español u Barceloni, mjestu koje je bilo malo uglednije u odnosu na barove i krčme u kojima je uglavnom plesala. Godine 1929. prvi put je nastupila na Svjetskom sajmu u Barceloni, a 1930. godine pridružila se tvrtki Manuela Valleja i započela svoju prvu nacionalnu turneju po Španjolskoj. Otprilike u to vrijeme postala je poznata kao ''La Capitana'' (Kapetanica), zbog svog snažnog karaktera i osobnosti. Kako bi to mjesto steklo šire priznanje i uspjeh u glavnom gradu Španjolske, 1935. godine nastupila je u madridskom kazalištu Coliseum, dobivajući ogromne pohvale na nacionalnoj razini.

Uspon Amaye dogodio se istovremeno s političkim turbulencijama u Španjolskoj, nakon nacionalističke i vojne pobune koji je vodio Francisco Franco i početka španjolskog građanskog rata u srpnju 1936. godine. Tada je nada za razvojem njene umjetničke karijere u Španjolskoj brzo nestala. Kao rezultat toga, Amaya i njezina obitelj pobjegli su u Lisabon i odatle prešli Atlantski ocean, stigli u Buenos Aires u Argentini u studenom 1936. godine, gdje je nastavila nastupati uz poznate flamenko gitariste Ramóna Montoyu i Sabicasa. Iako je u početku planirala provesti tamo samo nekoliko tjedana, Amaya je ostala gotovo cijelu godinu dana, što joj je donijelo ogroman uspjeh.

Nakon nekoliko godina turneje po Južnoj i Srednjoj Americi, u pratnji uže i šire obitelji, stigla je do Sjedinjenih Država i 1941. godine nastupila u Carnegie Hallu. Čini se vjerojatnim da je legendu jazza, Miles Davis, koji je bio na koncertu, toliko nadahnuo Amayin ples na stvaranje njegovog albuma "Sketches of Spain". Godinu dana kasnije nastavila je s izvedbom pjesme "Začarana ljubav" poznatog španjolskog skladatelja Manuela de Falle u Hollywood Bowlu na priredbi kojoj je prisustvovalo 20.000 ljudi.

Također je surađivala s holivudskom industrijom glumeći u mnogim filmovima tokom 40-ih. Njezina je slava imala toliko velik utjecaj da ju je američki predsjednik Franklin Roosevelt pozvao da nastupi u Bijeloj kući. Nakon Amayinog odbijanja da prihvati honorar za izvedbu, Roosevelt ju je poklonio bolerom optočenim dijamantima. U nadaleko poznatoj anegdoti, također u vezi s njezinim nepredvidivim i velikodušnim karakterom, Amaya je navodno kasnije pokidala jaknu i poklonila je ljudima. U Europi je plesala u Londonu, na poziv kraljice Elizabete II.

Iako je nastavila ići na brojne međunarodne turneje sljedećeg desetljeća, Amaya se 1947. godine vratila u Španjolsku. Nakon što se početkom 60-ih suočila s oštećenjem bubrega, koje je nekoliko puta uspjela nadvladati kako bi nastavila plesati, bolest je na kraju prevladala i preminula je zbog bolesti bubrega 19. studenoga 1963. godine. Za svijet Flamenka njezin je gubitak bio strašan udarac, a na njezinoj je sahrani bilo puno Roma iz cijele Španjolske, pa čak i Francuske. Dok danas obilježavamo Međunarodni dan plesa, dobra je prilika da se prisjetimo njezinog izvanrednog života, koji je očarao publiku i kritičare širom svijeta i dao primjer istinske strasti i predanosti plesnoj umjetnosti.

While flamenco is considered a distinctive feature of Spanish cultural heritage, less attention is often paid to Roma’s role in shaping this genre. A brief exploration of Carmen Amaya’s exceptional life is useful to understand Roma members’ contribution to the influence and visibility of modern flamenco worldwide.

''When she dances she vibrates from head to toe, she writhes, shakes and stands up in histrionic haughtiness, and her steel feet clatter with deafening fury, obsessed by the crescendo of the guitar''

These words, written by art critic Sebastiá Gasch in 1929, described the unique talent and virtue of artist Carmen Amaya, who was to become arguably the most famous flamenco bailaora (dancer) in the world. Her passion and devotion for flamenco, a musical style with strong historical links to the Roma, together with an innate artistic ability and impeccable execution granted her a level of international recognition that remains unmatched today. 

Carmen Amaya was born in the barracks of El Somorrostro, Barcelona, a predominantly Roma neighbourhood, somewhere between 1913 and 1918. The date is still disputed. As historian Montse Madrilejos explains, it was common for Roma at the time to be neither baptised nor registered at birth, which probably accounts for the confusion. At a very young age she started singing and dancing side to side with her father and poor guitarist Francisco Amaya, who played around the city in exchange for alms.

Still at a very young age, businessman José Sampere noticed her talent and gave her the chance to perform at Teatro Español in Barcelona, a slightly more reputed site than the bars and taverns where she usually danced. In 1929, she featured in Barcelona's World Fair for the first time, and in 1930 she joined Manuel Vallejo's Company and began her first national tour around Spain. Around this time she began to be known as ''La Capitana'' (The Captain), in reference to her strong character and personality. Under the realisation that the place for wider recognition and success would be Spain's capital city, she performed in Madrid's Coliseum Theatre in 1935, receiving huge praise at national level.

The ascent of Amaya came at the same time that political turbulence in Spain, following the nationalist and military uprising led by Francisco Franco and the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. Any hope for developing an artistic career in Spain was quickly vanishing. As a result, Amaya and her family fled to Lisbon and crossed the Atlantic ocean from there, arriving to Buenos Aires, Argentina in November 1936, where she continued to perform along well-known flamenco guitarists Ramón Montoya and Sabicas. While initially planning just a few weeks there, Amaya stayed almost a full year given enormous success.

After touring around South and Central America for several years, often in company of both close and extended family, she made her way to the United States and performed at Carnegie Hall in 1941. It seems plausible that jazz legend Miles Davis, present at the concert, was inspired by Amaya's dancing to produce his album ''Sketches of Spain''. A year later she would go on to perform a version of ''The Bewitched Love'' by famous Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, at Hollywood Bowl in an event attended by 20,000 people. 

She also collaborated with the Hollywood industry acting in many films throughout the 40s. Her fame was of such proportion that she was invited by US President Franklin Roosevelt to perform at the White House. After refusal by Amaya to accept payment for the performance, Roosevelt gifted her with a bolero jacket encrusted with diamonds. In a widely told anecdote, also in reference to her unpredictable and generous character, Amaya apparently later tore the jacket apart in pieces and gave them away to people. Back in Europe, she also danced in London and was received by Queen Elizabeth II. 

Amaya returned to Spain in 1947, although she continued to do numerous international tours for the following decade. After developing a renal impairment in the early 60s, which she managed to overcome several times in order to keep dancing, eventually the illness took over and she passed away due to kidney disease on 19th November 1963. Her loss was a terrible blow for the Flamenco world, and her funeral was attended by a large number of Roma from all over Spain and even France. As we commemorate International Dance Day, today is a good opportunity to remember her extraordinary life, one which mesmerised audiences and critics worldwide and has set an example of true passion and dedication for the art of dance.