Program

Carmen Amaya: Hail on the Crystals (Carmen Amaya: Granizo sobre los cristales)

David Parts 2003 Spain documentary color 43min

Carmen Amaya is considered by many to be one of the greatest flamenco dancers who ever lived. Flamenco today is deeply indebted to Carmen Amaya. Through her artistry and virtuosity, she effectively altered the history of flamenco dance forever. She crossed the traditional boundaries of flamenco by teaching herself the fast and furious footwork usually reserved for the male dancer. Donning a man's pants and jacket, she skillfully combined the elegance and grace of the female style with the ferocity and high-impact footwork of the male style sending shockwaves through the flamenco world unaccustomed to seeing a passionate and powerful woman in pants dancing a man's dance. Today, her legend lives on. The influence of the proud and passionate Gypsy woman taking her art to its limits is visible today in her great-niece.