La Argentina (dancer) facts for kids
Antonia Mercé y Luque (born September 4, 1890 – died July 18, 1936), also known as La Argentina, was a famous Spanish dancer. She was born in Argentina but became known for creating a new style of Spanish dance called neoclassical Spanish dance. Many people thought she was one of the best Spanish dancers of the 1900s. She was even called the "Queen of the Castanets" and the "Flamenco Pavlova." Her unique dance style even inspired the Japanese butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.
Contents
Biography
Early life
Antonia Mercé y Luque, or La Argentina, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her parents, Manuel Mercé and Josefina Luque, were also professional Spanish dancers. She started learning ballet from her father when she was just four years old.
She performed for the first time at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain, when she was nine. By age 11, she was already a star dancer at the Madrid Opera. After her father passed away, La Argentina stopped dancing ballet. At 14, she began to study traditional Spanish dances with her mother.
Career
When La Argentina first started her career, some people didn't approve of her new dance style. This made it hard for her to perform in big theaters and concerts. So, she performed in places like café cantantés and music halls instead.
Before World War I, La Argentina traveled to Paris. There, she performed in famous places like the Moulin Rouge and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. She later became interested in a Romani-style dance and made it her own. Her version of this dance even inspired the famous opera singer Rosa Ponselle. In 1935, Rosa Ponselle learned dances from La Argentina for her role in the opera "Carmen."
La Argentina went on six tours in North America during her career. She often performed with the flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya.
Death
La Argentina passed away on July 18, 1936, in Bayonne, France. She was 46 years old.
Awards
La Argentina received several important awards for her amazing dance contributions. She was given the French Légion d'honneur and the Spanish Orden de Isabel la Católica. After she died, a special plaque was placed in the Metropolitan Opera House to remember her. She also received the medal of Alfonso X the Wise.
Her Impact on Dance
La Argentina changed formal dance with her special style, music choices, how she used castanets, and the way she planned her shows.
Her Style
La Argentina created her own unique dance style. She brought back old traditions and found traditional steps from villages and small dance schools. She then made these steps more elegant and simple, keeping only what was most important. Her style mixed the grace of classical dance with the passion of folk art. She believed that stylized dance should still feel like traditional folk dance, but also work well on a stage. This meant making movements bigger and fitting different parts of a dance together.
Her Music
La Argentina used music from modern Spanish composers like Isaac Albéniz, de Falla, Granados, and Turina in her Spanish dance shows. She also worked with younger Spanish composers, including Ernesto Halffter, Óscar Esplá, and Duran, to create new music. She performed with talented pianists like Joaquin Nin and Luis Galve, using many different kinds of music that fit her performances.
Castanets
La Argentina started using castanets when she was very young, around three or four years old. Later, she developed her own way to make more beautiful sounds from them. She even changed the design of castanets! Her way of playing the castanets was so popular that many other Spanish artists started using her musical notes for this instrument.
Solo Shows
La Argentina was one of the first dancers to perform solo concerts. She created her own dances and performed them with just a pianist or sometimes a guitarist. Salvador Ballesteros, a family friend, was her guitarist for many years. She started by performing in variety shows and with orchestras, but slowly moved to shows where the orchestra was less important.
Her first solo show was in Berlin in 1926. After that, she performed in this way in many famous places around the world. These included the Salle Gaveau, Théâtre Femina, Salle Pleyel, the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris Opera, and the old Trocadéro. Her shows at the Trocadéro were very popular and attracted large crowds.
Main Creations
La Argentina created many dances and ballets throughout her career. Here are a few examples:
1. Concert Dances She created many short dances, often based on popular songs or traditional styles. Some examples include:
- El Garrotin (1912)
- Danse des Yeux verts (1916), with music specially made by Granados
- Sevilla (1921), with music by Albeniz
- Danse du Feu (1925), with music by Manuel de Falla
- Jota Valenciana (1928), with music by Granados
- Goyescas (1930), with music by Granados
- Zapataedo (1933), with music by Granados
- Suite Argentina (1934), based on popular Argentinian music
2. Ballets La Argentina also performed in and choreographed longer dance pieces called ballets.
- In 1925, she danced in L’Amour Sorcier, with music by Manuel de Falla.
- El Fandango de Candi was a ballet she choreographed in 1927, with music by Duran.
- In 1928, she danced in Sonatine, with music by Ernesto Halffter. This ballet mixed old French and Spanish styles.
- She also performed in Le Contrebandier (1928), with music by Óscar Esplá.
- Juerga (1928) showed scenes of lively life in Madrid.
- Triana (1929), with music by Albeniz, showed lovers' quarrels during a festival in Sevilla.
See also
In Spanish: La Argentina (bailarina) para niños
- List of dancers
