La Argentina (dancer)

Antonia Mercé y Luque (September 4, 1890 – July 18, 1936), also known as La Argentina, was an Argentine-born Spanish dancer who created the neoclassical style of Spanish dance. She was widely regarded as one of the most famous Spanish dancers of the 20th century and was nicknamed the "Queen of the Castanets" and the "Flamenco Pavlova".
Antonia Mercé y Luque, known by her stage name La Argentina, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to professional Spanish dancers Manuel Mercé and Josefina Luque. At the age of four, she began her dance career in ballet, primarily trained by her father. She made her debut performance at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain, at the age of nine, and became a star dancer at the Madrid Opera by the age of eleven. After the death of her father, La Argentina retired from ballet and began studying native Spanish dances with her mother at the age of 14.
At the beginning of her career, La Argentina faced disapproval in her dancing style from society, which prevented her from performing in theaters and concerts. She performed in venues accessible to her, such as café cantantés and music halls.
Before World War I, La Argentina traveled to Paris, where she performed at various prominent locations like the Moulin Rouge and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Later on, she developed an interest in a Romani-style dance and adapted it into her own style. Her rendition of this dance inspired Metropolitan Opera star Rosa Ponselle to prepare the dances for her portrayal of Bizet's "Carmen" under La Argentina's guidance in 1935.
Throughout her career, La Argentina embarked on six tours in North America, often accompanied by flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya.
On July 18, 1936, La Argentina passed away at the age of 46 in Bayonne, France.
La Argentina was recognized for her contributions to dance with several prestigious awards. She was awarded the French Légion d'honneur and the Spanish Orden de Isabel la Católica. Following her death, she was "honored with a plaque at the Metropolitan Opera House, in addition to receiving the medals of Alfonso X the Wise and the Order of Isabella the Catholic."
La Argentina's contributions to formal dance include her unique style, music selection, use of castanets, and the way she structured her performances.
Edwige Feuillère expressed her admiration for La Argentina's classical formation, knowledge, and taste, which brought dignity and nobleness to Spanish folklore. Serge Lifar acknowledged La Argentina's contribution to the history of formal dance, which began in 1920 with her and Vicente Escudero, according to him. La Argentina created her own style by reviving forgotten traditions and seeking out traditional steps from village squares and humble dance schools. She refined and pruned each pattern of steps, keeping only what was essential to conform to her own aesthetic, which combined the purity of classical style with the ardor and character of popular art. La Argentina believed that stylized dance should retain the nature and flavor of folklore while respecting the demands of the stage, such as creating space, accentuating movement, and fitting different parts into the whole.
La Argentina incorporated music from contemporary Spanish composers such as Isaac Albéniz, de Falla, Granados, and Turina into her Spanish dance performances. These composers' music demanded broad choral movements that were not present in traditional folkloric dances. She also worked with young Spanish composers, including Ernesto Halffter, Óscar Esplá, and Duran, to create new scores. Accompanied by notable pianists such as Joaquin Nin, Amparo Navaro, Carmencita Perez, Miguel Berdion, and Luis Galve. La Argentina used a variety of music that suited her performances.
La Argentina started using castanets at a very young age, around three or four. Later on, she developed her own method to obtain more pleasing sounds from the instrument and even modified the design of castanets. Her approach to playing the castanets was so influential that many other Spanish artists began to adopt her musical notation for this instrument.
Argentina was a pioneer in the recital format, performing her own choreography for concerts with only a pianist or occasionally a guitarist. Salvador Ballesteros, a family friend, served as her guitarist throughout her career. She gradually transitioned from performing in variety programs and pieces with orchestral music to dances where less importance was given to the orchestra. Her first shows in 1925 were during a European tour and performed in the South of France, where she shared the stage with other artists. Her first solo recital was in Berlin in 1926, and she continued performing in the same format in various venues around the world, including Salle Gaveau, Théâtre Femina, Salle Pleyel, the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris Opera, Opéra-Comique, and the old Trocadéro. Her popular shows at the Trocadéro drew large crowds, and she continued to perform there to great acclaim.
1. Concert dances
The following is a list of dances and their corresponding music that were created during various time periods:
2. Ballets
In 1925, Manuel de Falla composed the music for L’Amour Sorcier.
El Fandango de Candi was choreographed in 1927 with music by Duran. Argentina danced in a pink costume with cubist flounces cut into scallops, expressing feminine shrewdness, thwarted love, and tenderness.
Also in 1927, a flamenco cuadro called "Au coeur de Seville" was performed, featuring a popular air.
Ernesto Halffter composed the music for Sonatine in 1928. Argentina danced in this ballet, which mixed elements of Old France and Castilla and featured a shepherdess gliding and pirouetting imperceptibly.
In 1928, Óscar Esplá composed the music for Le Contrebandier, a ballet featuring the future Empress Eugénie and the countess of Teba.
Juerga, choreographed in 1928 by Julien Bautista, depicted scenes of popular life in Madrid around 1885, with young people from good families mingling with common folk and engaging in unrestrained jollity.
Triana, composed by Albeniz in 1929, depicted lovers' tiffs during the Corpus Christi festival in Sevilla.