Gypsy Heart

Who isn't swept up by flamenco: the guitar, the singer, the dancers, the passionate gypsy soul of it all? Born into one of the great flamenco families in Spain, gypsy dancer Omayra Amaya is the niece of Carmen Amaya, arguably the greatest female dancer in the history of flamenco, and as Gypsy Heart makes clear very quickly, Omayra may be every bit as wondrous a dancer as her aunt. Omayra, however, left Spain and started a flamenco school and dance company in, um, Boston, and this video recounts her struggle to keep both afloat. Not only is she plagued by an unrealistic business model, it seems to have dawned on no one involved with this financial mess that Omayra might be better off building a touring company based in a city with a little more Latin soul than this chilly New England port. While I won't reveal the ending, I will say that--like many gypsy tales--this one has a bit of a sad ending. No matter, the dancing is riveting. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Van Vleck)