BIO
…Amaya, whose control and speed are breathtaking. Her final solo, Zambra, in which she
twists her torso like a corkscrew and ends up dancing with Anillo pretty well stops the show.
Neil Norman • The Stage
The thing is Amaya – the Mexican-born grand-niece of the iconic dancer Carmen Amaya –
eventually stole both his thunder and the show right out from under his nose. It wasn’t
in her first solo, clad in tight black trousers and a white top with black spots, that she outclassed
him, nor in her second poured into a hot-orange dress against cherry-red lighting as Villar sang
passionately in her direction. Rather, it was the modulated focus and sustained virtuosity of a
third solo that did it – her upright carriage, the rapid tattoo her feet beat out both in place and
while zipping clean across the stage, and the speed and precision of some tilted spins.
Amaya gave us the night’s most exciting dancing, and we were grateful. The subsequent applause,
lasting even after she’d sat down in advance of Farruquito’s next solo, was loud, long and entirely just.
Is it too much to say that a new star was born?
Donald Hutera • London Dance
Karime Amaya is a bailaora from Mexico City, Mexico, born in 1985. Amaya belongs to a family with deep flamenco roots and a profound flamenco tradition. Grandniece of Carmen Amaya, Karime belongs to the glorious Amaya dynasty.
Amaya’s exceptional talent for flamenco has long been evident. Amaya’s family recalls that she was able to distinguish all the palos of flamenco from very young age. This difficult skill demonstrates Amaya’s rare awareness and sensitivity to flamenco. Amaya began her formal training at the age of 12 in her family’s academy in Mexico City. Shortly there after, Amaya began her professional career in her parents’, bailaora Mercedes Amaya “La Winy” and flamenco guitarist Santiago Aguilar, dance company. Amaya continued to develop as an artist with her family for many years. This experience provided her with a strong foundation that allowed her to thrive as a dancer.
Karime Amaya moved to Spain in 2005 to work in the company of the great bailaor Antonio Canales. Once in Spain, Amaya took the country by storm with her unique and powerful style of flamenco, emblematic of her training in the Spanish diaspora but faithful to tradition. In Spain, Amaya toured with Juan de Juan’s company, performing “Frente a Frente” in more than 30 cities. She toured with Antonio Canales, performing in “Bailaor” and shared the stage with flamenco greats such as Farruquito, Maria Pages, Israel Galvan, and Manuela Carrasco. Amaya toured extensively inside and outside of Spain, performing throughout Europe, Japan, and Latin America. Most recently, Amaya completed a tour in South America and Mexico with Farruquito, presenting a show entitled “Abolengo.” The word “Abolengo” refers to the idea of illustrious ancestry and nobility. This production celebrates the distinguished linage of the Farruco and Amaya families.
Amaya also earns acclaim as a dancer performing in Spain’s most important tablaos. She is a regular performer at Casa Patas in Madrid as well as Tablao Cordobés and Taranto in Barcelona.
Numerous are the dance and music festivals that present prominent flamenco performers in Spain and around the world. Amaya presents her work often in these settings. Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, Festival de Arte Flamenco in Monterrey, Mexico, Festival Arte Flamenco Mont de Marsan in France, Festival de Jerez 2012, Flamenco Festival London 2013 at Sadler’s Wells, and Festival Flamenco Japan 2013 are among the festivals where she has most recently presented her work. Amaya is the recipient of the “Premio Relevacion” award for best new artist at the Festival de Jerez 2013, one of Spain’s premiere flamenco festivals.