Carmencita, c1868 - 1910
Dates
- Existence: c1868 - 1910
Biography
Carmen Dauset Moreno, aka Carmencita, was born in Almeria, Spain in 1868. By the age of twelve she made her debut as a professional Spanish-style dancer and two years later she was touring internationally.
In 1889 she danced at the Nouveau Cirque during the Exposition Universelle in Paris, where she was signed by theatrical agent Bolossy Kiralfy. Kiralfy took Carmencita to the United States of America where she toured around the major cities, first with Kiralfy and then with John Koster and Albert Bial.
Carmencita returned to Europe in early 1895 where she continued giving shows in major cities including London and Paris. She became so famous that her portrait was painted by some of the most acclaimed artists of the time including John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase and James Carroll Beckwith and while in America Edison Studios filmed her performing one of her famous dancing routines. According to film historian Charles Musser, Carmencita was the first woman to appear in a modern motion picture made for commercial purposes and may have been the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States.
Carmencita died in c1910 in her early forties.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Carmencita No. 2 Film, 10 - 16 March 1894
Nitrate film by Edison [EMP 28.1]. Prod., f./ph: W. K. L. Dickson, William Heise; cast: Carmencita Dancing routine, showing a woman dancing on a stage.
Film, 1894 - 1896
Nitrate films made by Robert Paul and Birt Acres, showing brief scenes of topical events, popular entertainmet, family groups and fiction. These films were part of the repertoire travelled by showman George Williams around the British fairs.
George Williams Collection
Collection of early films related to the first year of film-making in America and the United Kingdom and nineteenth century magic lantern slides, letter, film catalogues and photographic plates.