Born in Barcelona in 1913, Amaya began dancing at the age of six. She grew to become one of the most revered flamenco dancers at home and abroad, Often dancing in high-waisted trousers, she was the first female flamenco dancer to master footwork previously reserved solely for male dancers. According to the caption on the back of one of the present photographs, “ “Critics have slaved over hot dictionaries seeking superlatives to describe the flamenco dancing of that sparkling Spaniard…when she made her debut at Carnegie Hall, one critic reported, “she left the place a smoldering ruin.”