the German extravaganza, “Salome,”
and also in the theatrical production
“Zorba.” Amaya won the prestigious
“Dancer of the Year” awarded by the
International Academy of Middle
Eastern Dance (IAMED).
City of Albuquerque Summerfest and
thus I was able to host live music and
dancers from as far away as Europe,
such as Leyla and Roland Jouvana of
Duisburg and Feyrouz of Frankfurt. It
ran from 1994 – 2008.
A: I danced with two famous
circuses, one in Germany, Salome
Traumtheater, and also a Swiss circus
called Circus Conelli. The initial entry
was through my dance partner, Bert
Balladine, who had connections all
over the world. I learned how to be a
total professional amidst talents from
all over the world. The production
value of these circuses was high end…
like I had never seen before. Make up,
costuming, music, lighting, backdrops, special effects and
show placement was strictly regimented and you had to
follow the exact same program twice a day, 7 days a week. It
was very tough work and after a while
I felt like my life was not real…it was
a fantasy environment day-in and
day-out. I had no idea what was going
on in the rest of the world and I was
so lonely for my own food and culture.
It was a glamorous job, the money was
good since they gave us zero time off
to spend it, and I got a huge dose of
show business education.
M: She retired her annual “Shake &
Bake Dance Festival” in New Mexico
after 14 years. This festival added
tho