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Antonia Merse: La Argentina

Stage Name

Birth Name

La Argentina Antonia Mercè
"Spain's Greatest Dancer"  

    La Argentina was born Antonia Mercè to her dancer parents Manuel Mercè (Andalucían) and dancer Josefina Luque (Castilian.) She learned to dance from her father at the age of four and by nine debuted with the Royal Opera Theater in Madrid, Spain. At the age of fourteen she retired from Ballet (after her father died) and started training with her mother in her native Spanish dances.

    She was to devise and awaken an art that belonged to the gypsies. She was a master of the Castanets, and would be referred to as 'The Queen of the Castanets', developing techniques never before seen.. From 1928 to 1936 Antonia made six transcontinental tours of North America. Carlos Montoya, A Spanish Flamenco guitarist and composer was used often by Merce.

She passed away at her summer home in France in 1936 of a heart attack.

There is another Spanish dancer by a similar name called La Argentinita. Antonia also has a street named after her in Madrid Spain.

Other Spellings:
Antonia Mercèaka, Antonia Mercèas, L'Argentina

More Photos

Birth Place

Birth Date

Spouse

Offspring

Buenos Aires 1888 - 7/19/1936 n/a n/a
 

Dance Types

Dance Partners

Merce's Music Titles

Ballet Carlos Montoya (her Guitarist) Ballet Juerga (Seguidillas, J. Bautista) 1930
Flamenco Vincent Escudero Cordoba (Solo De Castagnettes)
Habanera   Danse Iberienne pt.1 & 2 (Decca)
Jota   El Fandango de Candil (Decca)
La Corrida (said to be her fav. dance) c.1930   Habanera (Sarasate) 1930
Spanish   Jota Valenciana (Solo De Castagnettes) 1930
Tango   La Corrida (Solo De Castagnettes)
Tap   Lagarterana (Canción Flamenca) (Guerrero) 1930
    Sequidillas (Castanets Solo - Decca)
    Tango Flamenco (Solo de Castañuelas) 1930
 

Night Clubs

Theaters

Stage

n/a Auditorium Theater (Oakland) 1919 - Land Of Joy
      Apollo Theater      
      Geary Theatre (San Francisco)      
      M.E.T., the (NY)      
      Park Theater (NY) 1919      
             
             
 

Films

Television

(Other)

n/a n/a 12/1930 - The Dance Magazine of Stage & Screen.
           
            Zapateadode Negro Mania
            $ Antonia Merce, La Argentina: Flamenco And The Spanish Avant Garde by Bennahum, & Devorah (book)
           
           
            Antonia Merce - la Argentina by Ensayos De Federico de Onis , Gabriel Gorcia Maroto , Angel DelRio (book)
           
           
            $ Antonia Merce, "La Argentina": homenaje en su centenario, 1890-1990 (book)
           
           
NOTE:
February 3, 2010
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