learning flamenco when she was 11 under the tutelage of Vicente Romero, who is considered the godfather of flamenco dance in northern New Mexico. “I always had a love of flamenco. I lived in Spain for a year in high school, and in college I studied Spanish and history. I wrote my masters’ thesis on flamenco,” she relates. “For so many people, especially in southern Spain, it’s a way of life. It’s not just an art form you see on stage. It’s practiced at baptismals, weddings and family gatherings. I fell in love with all of it.”
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FLAMENCO IN N EW ME X IC O
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hings New Mexican: Hatch chile, sunsets, rugged landscapes, Native American and Mexican culture, adobe, turquoise…and flamenco. You may have seen the SpanishGypsy form at different restaurants and clubs around town, or perhaps you’ve attended the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, which takes place every June. More than a series of dance steps; flamenco is a combination of music, voice, rhythm and movement with a
deep history and culture. And part of that history involves New Mexico. This is why Santa Fe’s Museum of International Folk Art is currently hosting Flamenco: From Spain to New Mexico. The exhibition traces flamenco from its origins to its rise as an international art form. Featuring more than 150 objects, including items once used by renowned artists Encarnación López y Júlvez “La Argentinita,” José Greco, and Vicente
By Emmaly Wiederholt
Romero and María Benítez (both from New Mexico), the exhibition contains costumes, play bills, instruments and paintings, complemented by lectures, workshops and performances. Visitors can try on traditional costumes, learn to play castanets, and even try their hand at some footwork, making for an interactive and kid-friendly exhibit. Nicolasa Chávez, the exhibition curator, is a native New Mexican, and started
People often assume flamenco arrived in New Mexico with the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s. However, flamenco was only in its infancy then, and didn’t travel to New Mexico until the 20th century. Chávez addresses flamenco’s growth and breadth in the exhibit, which explores flamenco as a traditional art form, its evolution for the proscenium stage, and finally a large section on flamenco’s life here in the Land of Enchantment. “Per capita, we probably have the largest flamenco population in the United States. Though other cities have thriving flamenco cultures, our state’s population is tiny, and yet we have loads of flamenco singers, guitarists and dancers,” Chávez describes. Another common misconception is that all Spanish dance and music is flamenco. To educate visitors, Chávez devotes part of the exhibit to defining what is and isn’t the form. “Flamenco is the blues of Spain; it comes from the South,” Chávez explains. “People also assume it’s always tragic, whereas there’s a lot of joyful and celebratory flamenco, especially at the ferias (spring fairs). I try to capture all of that in the exhibit.” Because of its success, Flamenco: From Spain to New Mexico has been extended through September 2017. So go check it out. And then head to a local restaurant to catch a show. And then sign up for a class. You’ll be engaging in something truly New Mexican.
Counter clockwise from top left Family dressed for the Feria de abril in Seville, Spain, ca. 1960s. Collection of Remedios Guillen Ramos. María Benítez and Vicente Romero demonstrating the sensuality of partner dancing in flamenco, Tesuque, New Mexico, c. 1970. Courtesy of Lili del Castillo and Luís Campos. Alexina Garcí Chávez rides side saddle atop LEA Poesía, in the traditional manner of Spring Fairs in Andalucía. Shot on location at Estancia Alegre, Alcalde, New Mexico, November 2015. Collections of the Library and Archives, Museum of International Folk Art. Photo by Blair Clark. Program for Carmen Amaya Performance, c. 1950s. Bata de cola (flamenco skirt with train). This bata de cola, worn by María Benítez, appeared on the cover of dance magazine, November 1985. Made by Luís Rodríguez (aka Paca la Brava), New York, 1970s. Mantón de Manila (Manila shawl), Spain or China, early twentieth century. Museum of International Folk Art, A.2011.22.9. Pedro el Granaíno, by Pilar Suarez Guillen, Sevillle, Spain, 2015. Digital print, courtesy of the artist. Below Poster for the ballet El Amor Brujo, 1924, by Manuel de Falla, text by C. Martinez Sierra. Courtesy Archivo Manuel de Falla, Granada, Spain.