Rita and Ava: My Dancing Inspirations

I love dancing especially flamenco.  My obsession with classic films started around 6 or 7 years old.  I don’t know how I learned Rita Hayworth was a flamenco dancer.  I don’t recall seeing her flamenco film The Loves of Carmen but maybe I saw a documentary.  I have so much movie knowledge but don’t know where I get it. Anyway because of Hayworth I spent my childhood dreaming of flamenco and Spain. 

My mother tried her best to find a flamenco teacher for me.  She could only find one in Tampa.  We lived in St. Peterburg.  It was too far of a drive.  My mom took belly dancing classes at the recreational center across from our house.  It’s too bad I didn’t take classes at the rec center because belly dance has a lot of flamenco arm movements.  It would have given me a head start because I didn’t take flamenco until my mid-20s.  At least I eventually learned beyond a basic level.  I suppose I could be classified lower intermediate in my flamenco skill. Rita Hayworth is the one to thank for my love of dancing.  Ava Gardner too.  I found out she learned flamenco while filming The Barefoot Contessa and continued dancing after falling in love with it and the Spanish culture. Of course I wanted to be like Hayworth and Gardner. I don’t have any videos of Ava Gardner but below are more videos of Rita Hayworth, the dancer.  Enjoy.  Make sure to check out the Rita videos from yesterday’s Rita post.