Born in Almería, Andalusia, Spain, Carmencita took dancing lessons in Malaga and first danced professionally at Malaga's Cervantes Theatre in 1880. In 1882 she toured Spain and later traveled to Paris and Portugal. She returned to Paris during the Exposition Universelle (1889) and danced at the Nouveau Cirque where theatrical agent Bolossy Kiralfy saw her performance and subsequently induced her to come to the United States under his management.
Carmencita was born in Almería, Andalusia, Spain, took dance lessons in Malaga, and first performed professionally at Malaga's Cervantes Theatre in 1880. In 1882 she toured Spain before traveling to Paris and Portugal. She returned to Paris during the Exposition Universelle (1889) where she danced at the Nouveau Cirque, and a theatrical agent named Bolossy Kiralfy saw her performance there and persuaded her to come to the United States under his management.