(entrevista) Flamenco revolutionary

An interview with Mario Maya
By Jo Ann Gerber

At a small table in the corner of the Maria Benitez Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mario Maya - the guest teacher for Maria's 2001 Spanish Dance & Music Workshop - talked about his career as dancer, choreographer and director. In just a few short hours, this cozy cabaret, now quiet, would come alive with the sights and sounds of Spanish guitars, colorful costumes, and fiery footwork. But for now, the stage is quiet as Mario tells me his story and the events leading up to his revolutionary contribution to flamenco.

Mario, where did you grow up and how did you begin your career?
Although I am considered to be from Granada, I was born in Cordova by mistake, and I live in Sevilla. That makes me three in one! (laughter) As with many gypsies, I knew I was going to make flamenco a career when I was about 12, 13, or 14 years old. I was lucky because around that time, an artist from England came to Granada where she painted my portrait after seeing me dance. Later she sold her paintings in London and, to my surprise, sent me the money so that I could study flamenco in Madrid.

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