Festival Flamenco

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FLAMENCO & HERITAGE HOTELS AND RESORTS

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ÂĄBienvenidos!

I WELCOME TO THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL DE ALBURQUERQUE!

pledge their time and resources to ensuring the Festival is sustainable. To our board of directors, your leadership and guidance is greatly appreciated, and we thank each of you for believing that flamenco matters.

A special thank you to our partners at the University of New Mexico, Heritage Hotels and Resorts, Tierra Adentro Charter School, and the National Hispanic Cultural Center for investing in flamenco in such a meaningful way and for understanding that when we work together, we can initiate limitless positive impact. Finally, I thank our community for embracing this art form as their own and celebrating this tradition year after year.

Most of all, I think the Lord for His providence and guidance all these years.

t’s no small feat for an arts festival of any magnitude to survive for 30 years. With volatility in funding, pocketbooks hurting, and disposable income shrinking, it is a true testament of quality, tenacity, and innovation for an event to make it this long and a testament to the true desire from our community for events that touch and enrich our daily lives.

I thank my mother, who planted the seed for flamenco in this community long ago. I thank my children, Marisol and Joaquin, for giving their unrelenting energy to this organization.

Thank you to our wonderful staff, families, students, volunteers, and work-study students who, year after year, make the impossible happen. Thank you to the many supporters who

TO 30 MORE, AND TO 30 MORE AFTER THAT!

EVA ENCINIAS, Founder and Executive Director

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FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL DE ALBURQUERQUE 2017 PROGRAM

BOARD OF DIRECTORS RYAN CANGIOLOSI, Chairman

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REBECCA HARRINGTON, Vice-Chair FRED MONDRAGÓN, Honorary Consul to Spain NIRA AVILA TONI BALZANO ROBIN BRULE MICHELLE HERNANDEZ COLEMAN TRAVELSTEAD MARISOL ENCINIAS JOAQUIN ENCINIAS

FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL DE ALBURQUERQUE EVA ENCINIAS, Executive Director MARISOL ENCINIAS, Associate Director JOAQUIN ENCINIAS, Associate Director JACQUELINE M. GARCIA, Director of Education MARISA MAGALLANEZ, Director of Development & Marketing CARO ACUÑA-OLVERA, Community Giving Coordinator

1 ¡BIENVENIDOS! Welcome from Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque founder Eva Encinias

6 THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE 7 THE SIXTH BIENNIAL FLAMENCO HISTORY AND RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Presenting research presentations, panels, and lecture demonstrations by leading flamenco historians and scholars

8 THE PROGRAM AND ARTISTS The performances and artists featured in this year’s festival

34 BUILDING A FAMILY LEGACY AND A WORLD-CLASS FESTIVAL The inspiring story behind the festival—and a booming flamenco culture in Albuquerque

by April Goltz

44 THE EDUCATION OF A FLAMENCO ARTIST From three years old and beyond, the development of a flamenco artist is a lifelong pursuit

by Donna Jewell

54 CHOREOGRAPHED SPONTANEITY A closer look at repertory performance and the tablaos around the world

by Fabian Sisneros

28 ENSURING THE FUTURE Donors who make Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque a reality

ANA ARECHIGA, Stage Manager MERCEDES AVILA, Finance Assistant SANTANA AVILA, Production Assistant ALLISON CRAVENS, Production Manager AMY DEANS, Costumer DOLORES GARCIA, Education Coordinator KRISTIN GARCIA, Marketing Manager SARAH W. GONZALES, Grant Administrator RICHARD HESS, Assistant Technical Director DARIO IBARRA, Program Assistant SHAWN NIELSEN, Technical Director ALEJANDRINA PADILLA, Marketing & Artistic Programming Coordinator CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL ROYBAL, Videographer JEANETTE SALAZAR, Development Officer ANA SANCHEZ, Costumer SHAYLEE STOCKHOLM, Education Coordinator

60 ARTISTIC IMPRESSIONS Artist Isabel Hees captures the soul of flamenco dancers through the art of printmaking

by Alissa Kinney Moe

30TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL PROGRAM EDITORIAL, DESIGN, PRODUCTION E-SQUARED EDITORIAL SERVICES EMILY ESTERSON, Editor/Publisher GLENNA STOCKS, Art Director ALISSA KINNEY MOE, Managing Editor

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Treasures found here.

EDUCATE. DEVELOP. PRESENT. The mission of the National Institute of Flamenco is to preserve and promote Flamenco’s artistry, history, and culture by presenting the finest Flamenco in the world and by educating the American family in this art form, while emphasizing the positive influence of art on family and community.

A 501c3 non-profit organization established in 1982.

Title Sponsor

Sponsors

Presenters

PERFORMANCES

TABLAO

SCHEDULE Saturday, JUNE 10

Sunday, JUNE 11

Monday, JUNE 12

Tuesday, JUNE 13

6:00 PM VIP COCKTAIL RECEPTION National Hispanic Cultural Center

8:00 AM–6:45 PM FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

8:00 AM–6:45 PM FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

8:00 AM–6:45 PM FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

8:00 AM–6:45 PM FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

8:00 PM MARÍA MORENO Y COMPAÑÍA: ALAS DE RECUERDO Rodey Theatre (UNM)

8:00 PM ADRIÁN SANTANA Y COMPAÑÍA: SIMBIOSIS Rodey Theatre (UNM)

8:00 PM PEPE TORRES Y COMPAÑÍA: JIRONES DE GITANERÍA Rodey Theatre (UNM)

8:00 PM ROSARIO TOLEDO Y COMPAÑÍA: ADN Rodey Theatre (UNM)

10:30 PM TABLAO EDICIÓN ESPECIAL #1 Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque (Hotel ABQ)

10:30 PM TABLAO EDICIÓN ESPECIAL #2 RECITAL DE CANTE Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque (Hotel ABQ)

10:30 PM TABLAO EDICIÓN ESPECIAL #3 Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque (Hotel ABQ)

8:00 PM MARCO FLORES Y COMPAÑÍA: ENTRAR AL JUEGO NHCC Journal Theatre 9:30 PM 30TH ANNIVERSARY GALA EVENT National Hispanic Cultural Center

Wednesday, JUNE 14

10:30 PM TABLAO EDICIÓN ESPECIAL #4 RECITAL DE CANTE Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque (Hotel ABQ)

EDUCATION Thursday, JUNE 15

Friday, JUNE 16

8:00 AM–6:45 PM FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

8:00 AM–6:45 PM FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

5:30PM-7:00PM NM TRUE WELCOME RECEPTION Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque (Hotel ABQ)

10:00AM-11:00AM NM TRUE BAILE CLASS WITH MISA ROMERO National Institute of Flamenco

8:00 PM JESÚS CARMONA Y COMPAÑÍA: IMPETU’S NHCC Journal Theatre

11:30AM-12:30PM NM TRUE TOUR FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym)

10:30 PM TABLAO EDICIÓN ESPECIAL #5 Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque (Hotel ABQ)

JOIN US FOR THE NEW MEXICO TRUE CLOSING CELEBRATION of the 30th FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL DE ALBURQUERQUE!!!

TABLAO Y CANTE PERFORMANCE SERIES

FESTIVITIES INCLUDE LIVE PERFORMANCES, BEER GARDEN, FOOD TRUCKS, AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS

Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque – located in Hotel Albuquerque 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Albuquerque, NM Tickets $25, $35, $45 505-242-7600 tablaoflamenco.org

The NM True closing celebration for Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque 2017 will feature an exciting and diverse showcase of national and international flamenco student groups!

FREE TO THE PUBLIC! June 17th, 4:00PM–7:00PM, National Hispanic Cultural Center, Plaza Mayor SPONSORED BY: New Mexico Tourism Department • New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs • National Institute of Flamenco • National Hispanic Cultural Center

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2:00PM-3:00PM NM TRUE PALMAS CLASS WITH JOAQUIN ENCINIAS Elizabeth Waters Center for Dance (Carlisle Gym) 3:15PM-4:15PM NM TRUE FLAMENCO HISTORY CLASS WITH DAVID BRIGGS UNM Zimmerman Library 7:15 PM PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE SERIES: JUAN VERGILLOS NHCC Wells Fargo Theatre 8:00 PM FIESTA FLAMENCA NHCC Journal Theatre

PARTIES Saturday, JUNE 17 8:00 AM–5:30 PM FLAMENCO HISTORY & RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM NHCC 10:00AM-11:00AM NM TRUE BAILE CLASS WITH MISA ROMERONational Institute of Flamenco 11:30AM-1:30PM NM TRUE LUNCH AT MÁS TAPAS Y VINO 2:00PM–3:00PM NM TRUE CANTE CLASS WITH VICENTE GRIEGO UNM College of Fine Arts 3:15PM-4:15PM NM TRUE FLAMENCO HISTORY CLASS WITH DAVID BRIGGS UNM Zimmerman Library 4:00-7:00PM NM TRUE CLOSING CELEBRATION 5:00PM-7:00PM FIESTA DE CLAUSARA EXPOSICIÓN FLAMENCAN TBD 7:15 PM PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE SERIES: EVA ENCINIAS NHCC Journal Theatre 8:00 PM FIESTA FLAMENCA NHCC Wells Fargo Theatre

REGISTER NOW! SIXTH BIENNIAL NEW PERSPECTIVES IN FLAMENCO HISTORY AND RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM The Sixth Biennial New Perspectives in Flamenco History and Research Symposium will present research presentations, panels, and lecture demonstrations by leading national and international flamenco historians and scholars. Our invited presenters will share a diverse and refreshing mix of the most current flamenco scholarship on our 2017 conference theme, “Identity: Diving into the Legacy and Transmission of Flamenco.”

Topics will include various aspects of the art form of flamenco, including flamenco dance, music, performance, pedagogy, history, and costuming. An English translator will be provided for Spanish-speaking presenters.

Conference registration includes access to one full day of conference presentations, a boxed lunch, and refreshments throughout the day, concluding with a keynote presentation, “Los Orígenes del Flamenco,” by flamenco historian Juan Vergillos of Sevilla, Spain.

Juan Vergillos was awarded the National Prize of Flamencology by the Cátedra de Flamencología of Jerez. An accomplished writer, Vergillos won the “Anselmo González Climent” literary prize for essays; the University of Sevilla and Young Creators of the Sevilla municipal government award for his novels; and “Gruta de las Maravillas” for erotic literature.

Vergillos has directed and scripted shows for the companies of Andrés Marín, Rocío Márquez, La Choni, Fran Velasco, and Guillermo Cano. He has been a flamenco judge, critic, and editor, and is the first specialist to explain the history of flamenco within the framework of the history of Spain.

REGISTER AT PERFORMANCES OR ONLINE AT FFI30.ORG/HISTORY-CONFERENCE In conjunction with the 30th Annual Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, presented by the National Institute of Flamenco and the University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts Albuquerque, New Mexico Conference Location: NHCC Saturday, June 17, 2017 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

MARCO FLORES

“SO FULL OF LIFE— TRUE ART.” – DÍARIO DE JEREZ

Marco Flores M

arco Flores was born in 1981 in Arcos de la Frontera in Cádiz. At 18, he joined the prestigious companies of Sara Baras and Rafaela Carrasco, and was also a guest artist in both Miguel Ángel Berna and Mercedes Ruiz’s companies.

By 2004, Marco was co-directing and producing his own shows, along with Manuel Liñán; Manuel and Olga Pericet; and Olga and Daniel Doña. For more than six years, these artists presented their work worldwide at many prestigious international festivals.

In 2010, Marco created his own company and began his solo career. The

SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 8:00 PM

Entrar al Juego

PRESENTA

DIRECCIÓN ESCÉNICA

JUAN CARLOS LÉRIDA ARTISTAS INVITADOS

CARMELA GRECO ALEJANDRO GRANADOS COLABORACIÓN EN LA DIRECCIÓN ARTÍSTICA Y COREÓGRAFA INVITADA

OLGA PERICET.

Marco Flores & Compañía debuted its first show, “DeFlamencas,” at Córdoba’s Gran Teatro. The show won the critic’s prize at the 2012 Festival de Jerez.

His next production, entitled “Laberíntica,” debuted in March of 2014 at the Villamarta Theater and in international dance festivals, such as Kuopio Dance Festival in Finland. In 2015, the company debuted “Paso a Dos” at the 2015 Festival de Jerez; this show starred Flores, along with Olga Pericet. Marco debuted his latest show, “Entrar al Juego,” at the 20th Festival de Jerez, with a cast that included Carmela Greco and Alejandro Granados. He continues to choreograph and collaborate with various artists and companies.

CAST & CREDITS Artistic Direction, Choreography, & Baile Marco Flores Invited Artists Carmela Greco Alejandro Granados Dance Águeda Saavedra Claudia Cruz José Manuel Álvarez

Marco Flores & Compañía National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC)

INVITED ARTISTS

SYNOPSIS

Percussion Ana Romero

Guitar José Almarcha Lighting & Space Design Gloria Montesinos A.A.I Sound Design Beatriz Anievas Costume Design Felype De Lima Machinist Octavio Romero Garcia Manager/ Distribution Miguel Santín

Singers Manuel Gago Emilio Florido

In this show, Marco Flores manipulates space and time. He aims to enlarge his artistic poetry and his choreographic dynamics. “Entrar al Juego” involves each of the artists in a collective composition wherein the individual is absolutely necessary for the development of the group.

Each finds their own strategies to move, to be still, to continue. This is the peculiarity of “Entrar al Juego.” Flores, along with Juan Carlos Lérida in stage direction and choreography, ask participants to dance in a timeless place.

Juan Carlos Lérida

“… A BEAUTIFUL SENSUAL, JOYFUL, AND ENDEARING DIALOGUE, A BURST OF HAPPINESS AND TENDERNESS.” – FLAMENCO CULTURE

Alejandro Granados

Carmela Greco

Alejandro Granados was a soloist with the Ballet Clásico de Zaragoza, and the Ballet Español de Madrid.

He directs and performs with his own company, combining performance with his work as a renowned flamenco teacher.

Carmela Greco has been on center stage since 1972, when she performed in the Ballet Antología. She has not stopped touring, performing, and teaching flamenco since.

Carmela has graced performance and festival stages in France, the Middle East, Italy, the United States, Mexico, and Japan.

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Dancer, choreographer, and flamenco instructor Juan Carlos Lérida is licensed in Choreography and Techniques of Interpretation from the Institut del Teatre of Barcelona, where he graduated with the “Premio extraordinario” in 2007. He is currently completing a doctorate at the University of Seville, where he is conducting advanced interdisciplinary studies on flamenco.

SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 8:00 PM

Alas de Recuerdo María Moreno & Compañía Rodey Theatre, University of New Mexico

PROGRAM VIDALITA ALEGRÍAS TRILLA TARANTO ROMANCE RONDEÑA

María Moreno M

aría Moreno was born in Cádiz in 1986. When she was eight years old, she began studying at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza in Cádiz, and with maestros such as Javier Latorre, Rafaela Carrasco, Antonio Canales, and Eva Yerbabuena, among others.

She made her debut with other artists from Cádiz, such as Pilar and Juan Ogalla, at the Central Lechera with the show “Locos del Tiempo.”

In 2006, María embarked upon her solo career in the Bienal de Jóvenes Flamencos de Sevilla, celebrated in the

years, María has collaborated with José Mercé at the Gran Teatro Falla in Cádiz; with the Manuel de Falla Orchestra and singer David Palomar at the 150th anniversary of the Teatro Principal of Puerto Real in Cádiz; and with Rafael Campallo at the premiere of "Puente de Triana" and “Triana, la Otra Orilla," for which she traveled to Italy and Canada. María debuted “Alas de Recuerdo” at the Sala Lechera in Cádiz, a show which includes the cante accompaniment of Enrique “El Extremeño” and Juan José Amador, the guitar of Joselito Acedo, and the palmas of El Oruco. María was awarded First Prize

“MARÍA MORENO IS FRESHNESS, INGENUITY, WARMTH, AND GRACE—CHARACTERISTICS OF HER HOMETOWN OF CÁDIZ.”

SYNOPSIS Memories…

They follow me, they paralyze me, they provoke me, they soothe me and revive me…

A state of mind through which I travel by means of the most classic flamenco, and with which I explore some of the facets of the great emotional gamut offered by flamenco…

I let myself be carried away by my memories, those which give me wings to be able to express them and relive them.

Memories…

CAST & CREDITS Artistic Direction, Choreography, & Dance María Moreno

–JUAN VERGILLOS (DIARIO DE SEVILLA)

“YOUTH AND MASTERY” – JOSÉ LUÍS NAVARRO, DEFLAMENCO.COM

Jardines del Valle. She also appeared in the Veranos del Corral (Granada), Festival “Larachí Flamenca” (Seville), Fiesta de la Vendimia (Jerez de la Frontera), and the Festival de la Fortuna (Madrid). Over the

in the National Bajo de Guía competition, held in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cádiz, and First Prize in the National Competition in Baile por Alegrías, organized by the Perla de Cádiz flamenco club.

Singers Enrique “El Extremeño” Antonio Campos Guitar Juan Campallo Percussion Roberto Jaén

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Original Music Composition Joselito Acedo Lighting Design Antonio Valiente Sound Design Ángel Olalla Distribution Saradezza Productions Manager Sara Dezza

MONDAY, JUNE 12, 8:00 PM

SIMBIOSIS Adrián Santana & Compañía Rodey Theatre, University of New Mexico

PROGRAM TONÁS Y SEGUIRILLA TARANTO ALEGRÍAS CAÑA Y POLO ROMANCE

Adrián Santana A

drián Santana began his dance studies with his uncle, the great Pepito Vargas, later continuing at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza in his hometown of Málaga. In 2010, he placed second at the 19th Certamen de Coreografía de Danza Española y Flamenco

Latorre, Belén Maya, Pastora Galván, Nani Paños, Concha Jareño, and Rafael Estévez at venues and festivals such as the Bienal de Sevilla, Festival de Jerez, Flamenco Festival London/New York, and the Greek Acropolis. He has danced under the direction of such prestigious artists as the Maestro Granero and

“ADRIÁN SANTANA AND AGUEDA SAAVEDRA RAISE PASSION AND FILL [THE THEATRE] WITH IT.” – JOSÉ RAMÓN ZAPATA (COLMAO REVISTA) in Madrid with his show "Siempre me pasa lo mismo," which later debuted at Madrid’s Sala Pradillo to great success.

Adrián has been a member of the best dance companies in Spain, notably those of Aída Gómez, Carlos Saura, Manuel Liñán, Daniel Doña, Margaret Jova Productions, Carlos Chamorro, and Rocío Molina, sharing the stage with artists such as María Pagés, Lola Greco, Javier

Antonio Canales, and at the famed Casa Patas, Villa Rosa, El Corral de la Morería, and El Arenal tablaos.

"SIMBIOSIS," his most recent work, debuted in Granada at the Corral del Carbón in 2014, and was presented at the fourth Bienal de Flamenco de Málaga in 2015. Adrián also teaches courses at a number of dance conservatories throughout Spain and abroad.

ALIGSTUDIOS.COM

INVITED ARTIST

“...[SANTANA] MANAGES TO COMBINE PLASTICITY, LORDSHIP, ELEGANCE, ART AND PURITY” – JOSÉ RAMÓN ZAPATA (COLMAO REVISTA)

SYNOPSIS Bodies that sketch feelings which flow out in a different way, and which unite forces that belong to the most intimate corners of our respective identities—identities unintentionally bound, far from the persistent quest to create in an orderly way, and yet happening just like that, without a predetermined motif.

The sheer pleasure of sharing apparently diverse impulses, though intensely interwoven, are the main pillars that make “SIMBIOSIS” a work in which natural forces feed back to themselves and coexist in harmony, keeping alive and loved a space in which everything is yet to happen.

CAST & CREDITS Artistic Direction, Choreography, & Dance Adrián Santana Invited Artist Águeda Saavedra Singers David Sanchez “El Galli” Emilio Florido

Guitar Franciso Vinuesa Victor Tomate Percussion Javier Teruel Costume Design González Pili Cordero Sound Design Ángel Olalla Lighting Design Gloria Montesinos Manager Marta Tenorio

Águeda Saavedra Águeda Saavedra has been dancing flamenco since she was seven years old, and has since studied with masters including Daniel Doña and Nani Paños and had the distinction of winning first place in the Ribarroia del Turia Dance Contest two years in a row. Agueda regularly performs at the Tablao Flamenco Cordobés and tours around the world.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 8:00 PM

Jirones de Gitanería Pepe Torres & Compañía Rodey Theatre, University of New Mexico

PROGRAM BORDONES DE LUZ PRELUDE JIRONES DE GITANERÍA RONDA DE SOLEÁ POR BULERÍAS ENTRE METALES MARTINETE Y SEGUIRILLA BAILAORA ALEGRÍAS INSTRUMENTAL LA INDIA DE TRIANA TANGUILLOS Y TANGOS SOLEÁ DEL ALMA MÍA SOLEÁ EN LA TABERNA BULERÍA

“PEPE TORRES BRINGS US A WONDERFUL DOSE OF THE TRADITIONAL STYLE OF FLAMENCO.” – DEFLAMENCO.COM

SYNOPSIS

Pepe Torres P

epe Torres was born in Morón de la Frontera to a true gypsy flamenco family. His grandfather was Luis Torres Cádiz “Joselero Moron,” his great-uncle is the master Diego del Gastor, and his uncles are Diego de Morón and Andorran.

At 11 years old, Pepe began training with maestros such as Farruco and Rafael “El Negro.” By 15, he was dancing professionally at tablaos and theaters worldwide. Over

Pepe formed his own company with the premier of “Así Baila Morón,” which was twice featured at the 2004 Bienal de Sevilla. He took part in shows such as Antonio Canales’s “Bailaor,” and with “Son de la Frontera,” receiving excellent reviews.

Pepe has also collaborated with Tomás de Perrate on “Perraterías,” a show directed

by Ricardo Pachón at the Teatro Central.

Pepe has brought his work to events such as the Festival del Gazpacho de

“… [PEPE TORRES] IS SO CHARMING, SO UNASSUMING, SO WILLING TO SHARE HIS TRUE ARTISTRY, THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO GO ANYWHERE WITH HIM.” – DEFLAMENCO.COM the years, Pepe has performed in important shows such as “Por Derecho” with Juana Amaya and Farruquito, danced in the Flamenco Festival USA in New York, and triumphed at a variety of venues throughout America. He participated in numerous tours with the singer Martirio, and was a member of the group Son de la Frontera.

Morón, the Reunión de Cante Jondo de La Puebla de Cazalla, Festival de Cáceres, and Festival de Nimes in France. In 2010, he danced at the Festival Flamenco Gitano, directed by Nina Menéndez and World Music, presenting his own show in sold-out theaters in New York, Boston, and San Francisco.

INVITED ARTIST

Manuela Ríos Manuela has garnered several accolades throughout her career, including the award for best female dancer at the Festival of La Unión. She has danced with notable companies, including those of Cristina Hoyos and Javier Barón, and is now a master teacher at prestigious flamenco schools throughout the globe.

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Jirones (shreds) are the little parts that make up the whole of Gitanería (Gypsy culture), which can be found in its customs, traditions, musical forms, and dances. From these parts stem vital musical form, transmitted, shared, and breathed in like air.

Pepe Torres's "Jirones de Gitanería" is innovative yet traditional, and reflects Torres's own brand of artistically mature flamenco. In Jirones de Gitanería, the baile (dance) works in concert with the artist’s respect and love for the guitar. Pepe Torres pays homage to the guitarists of his own family, the Gasteoreños, with instrumental and lyrical compositions woven throughout the show. Every piece presented has been created to carefully reflect, through the music, baile, and cante (voice), a history of Gitanos and Spaniards from Andalucía and their experiences, told through flamenco.

CAST & CREDITS Artistic Direction, Choreography, & Dance Pepe Torres Invited Artist Manuela Rios

Guitar Juan Moneo Paco Igleias Percussion Miguel “El Cheyenne”

Singers David Sanchez “El Galli”

Lighting Design Antonio Valiente

Luis Moneo

Sound Design Ángel Olalla

Enrique “El Extremeño”

Manager Daliris Gutierrez

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 8:00 PM

ADN Rosario Toledo & Compañía Rodey Theatre, University of New Mexico

PROGRAM ALEGRIAS DE LA PENA MILONGO DE PEPA ORO RUMBA MAREMOTO LA AUSENCIA (SOLEARES AL GOLPE) REBUSCANDO EN EL DOLOR (SOLEA)

Rosario Toledo I

ntuitive, fresh, expressive, visceral, and earthy are all words that have been used to describe the work of dancer-choreographer Rosario Toledo, who has reached the heights of contemporary flamenco dance, thanks to her creativity and ability to connect with her audience. A graduate of the Conservatory of Spanish Dance of Seville, she credits her

among others. She also worked as a soloist with Mario Maya in his show, “De Cádiz a Cuba, la Mar de Flamenco.” Rosario has also collaborated with “Aleluya Erótica,” which was produced by TNT and premiered at the 2012 Bienal de Sevilla, where it was awarded the Giraldillo prize for Best Show of the Festival. She debuted the choreography “Cómplices”

FANDANGOS DE PALOMAR SONANDO EL CHACARRA (FANDANGO DE TARIFA) VOLVIENDO A CASA (ZAPATEADO POR TANGUILLOS) LA AUTOESTIMA (TANGUILLO DE LA GUAPA DE CADIZ) LA PURIFICACION (CANA)

“[ADN] TAKES US FROM DESOLATION TO COMPULSIVE LAUGHTER, THROUGH MELANCHOLY TO COMPLICITY, AND FINALLY TO CELEBRATION.”

LA FUERZA DE LAS RAICES (BULERIAS)

“ROSARIO TOLEDO HAS HER OWN LANGUAGE THAT TRANSLATES INTO DANCE—INTENSE AND LOADED WITH EXPRESSION.”

An artist wonders: who am I? What is my style? What part of me is genuine and makes me unique? An artistic personality is determined by many factors: one’s own experiences, having been born at a specific moment, one’s roots, and so many more. You can run away from many things, deny a thousand others, but you can’t get away from who you are. Rosario Toledo is a 21st century female flamenco dancer with the legacy of Cádiz in every pore of her output, and has produced an immense and unique artistic body of work. She seeks to interpret, amidst the chaos of what it means to be a “bailaahora” (dancer now).

CAST & CREDITS

– DEFLAMENCO.COM teacher Charo Cruz, the show “Por Ley de Vida,” and her time as a member of the Manuela Carrasco and Antonio el Pipa companies with helping her to launch her professional career.

Rosario has performed in well-known tablaos, such as El Cordobés in Barcelona and Los Gallos in Seville and collaborated with Javier Latorre, Javier Barón, Antonio Canales, Israel Galván, Joaquín Grilo, Miguel Poveda, Arcángel, Dorantes, and José Antonio Rodríguez,

SYNOPSIS

for Pasión y Arte Flamenco de Philadelphia in 2012.

More recently, Rosario has immersed herself in the development of her own projects, achieving great success with critics and audiences alike and becoming one of the top stars of contemporary flamenco dance. She is currently collaborating as a guest artist with the Sevillano pianist Chiqui Cienfuegos, with whom she performed at the 2016 Bienal de Flamenco.

– JUAN VERGILLOS (DIARIO DE SEVILLA)

Artistic Direction, Choreography, & Dance Rosario Toledo

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Lighting Design Antonio Valiente

Musical Direction & Guitar Rafael Rodriguez

Sound Design Ángel Olalla

Singers Enrique “El Extremeño”

Production El Mandaito Productions

Juan José Amador “El Perre” Percussion Roberto Jaén

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Costume Design José Tarriño

Manager Salva Calderón

BEATRIX MEXI MOLNAR

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 8:00 PM

Impetu’s Jesús Carmona & Compañía National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC)

PROGRAM ASTURIAS TARANTA TANGOS ANAK ÍMPETU BULERIA MARIANA SEGUIRILLA CAÑA

Jesús Carmona J

esús Carmona, born in 1985 in Barcelona, began his career at seven years old in “La Macarena and el Niño de Morón.” He graduated from the Instituto del Teatro y Danza with a concentration in Spanish Dance and Flamenco in 2004. He furthered his studies under

“Corazón de Piedra Verde.”

His eagerness to explore his more personal side led him to embark on a new adventure: “Cuna Negra Y Blanca,” which received critical and public acclaim at major flamenco festivals. In 2013, he came in second place at the National Flamenco

“ON TOP OF BRISK, CUTTING ZAPATEADO (PERCUSSIVE FOOTWORK), MR. CARMONA ADDED VOLUPTUOUS SWERVES OF THE TORSO, UNCOMMON FOR MEN IN FLAMENCO...”

“STEELY AND STYLISH”

– THE NEW YORK TIMES

–THE NEW YORK TIMES

maestros such as Antonio Canales, Rafaela Carrasco, Manolete, Eva Yerbabuena, and Aida Gómez.

He made his professional debut at the Zorrilla Theatre with the Liceu Theatre Orchestra in Barcelona at just 14 years old. Later, he joined several companies, including the Nuevo Ballet Español, Carmen Cortes, El Güito, Manolete, Antonio Canales, and Rafael Amargo.

During 2010 and 2011, Jesús took on numerous projects, including performing as a guest artist with the Rojas y Rodríguez tour throughout Asia and with the BNE in

Festival in Córdoba, and in 2014 he was nominated for best principal dancer at the MAX Awards.

Throughout September, October, and November of 2015, Jesús took part in the Platea programme in various Spanish theatres; danced at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival to outstanding public and critical acclaim; and appeared at the Brezier Flamenco Festival, France; among other performances. On December 1, 2015, he premiered his show “Ímpetu’s” at the Teatro Nuevo Apolo in Madrid.

SYNOPSIS Since his beginnings as a company dancer to the development of his own company to the artistic maturity achieved through experience, Jesús Carmona has aimed to have his creations serve as a showcase for Spanish culture. With this work, he has surpassed that goal, in both his innovative style and by honoring and showcasing the great composers. In this show he presents the music that has contributed to his artistic growth, and that formed the foundation of his life and character, both professionally and personally.

His strength and energy can be defined in a single word: Ímpetus!

CAST & CREDITS Artistic Direction, Choreography, & Dance Jesús Carmona Dance Lucía Campillo Inmaculada Aranda Tamara López Fernando Jimenez Ángel Reyes Guitar Daniel Jurado Oscar Lago

Singer Juan José Amador Percussion Paco Vega Violin Thomas Potiron Costume Design Belen de la Quintana Lighting Design David Pérez Sound Design Ángel Olalla Manager Belen Castres

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CAST: MARCO FLORES MARÍA MORENO ADRIÁN SANTANA PEPE TORRES ROSARIO TOLEDO JESÚS CARMONA ALEJANDRO GRANADOS CARMELA GRECO YJASTROS: THE AMERICAN FLAMENCO REPERTORY COMPANY

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JUNE 16 and 17, 8:00 PM Journal Theater National Hispanic Cultural Center

F

iesta Flamenca is a star-studded evening of music and dance, illustrating the range and dynamic styles presented in Festival Flamenco. Elegance, sophistication, and physical brilliance challenge the audience to experience flamenco in all of its forms. Juxtaposing heritage and innovation, this vibrant display of artistry can be found in the distinct characteristics of flamenco. In a spectacular display of the most powerful and energetic flamenco, headlining artists of Festival Flamenco 30, along with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, share the stage for an evening of unforgettable music and dance.

F I E S TA F L A M E N C A

Featured ARTISTS nies of Antonio Canales and Javier Barón; won the “Bordón Minero” award in the Festival de la Union

ANTONIO CAMPOS Singer (Tarragona, Spain) Alas de Recuerdo

JOSÉ ALMARCHA Guitarist (Tomelloso, Spain) Entrar al Juego Engagements: Master teacher, performs in tablaos and festivals throughout Spain and worldwide

INMACULADA ARANDA Dancer (Córdoba, Spain) Impetu’s Engagements: Attained the title of Grado Medio de Danza Española at the conservatory of Luís del Río in Córdoba; licensed in Spanish Dance Pedagogy; has performed with master artists such as El Cabrero, Arcángel, El Pele, Manolo Francio, Calixto Sánchez, and José Menese

LUCÍA CAMPILLO Dancer (Barcelona, Spain) Impetu’s Engagements: Trained with and was a member of the National Spanish Ballet; performed in Cuna Negra y Blanca in the Jerez Festival and the the Bienal de Sevilla; member of María Pagés and Company; has performed at prestigious tablaos including Casa Patas, Corral de la Morería, and Tablao Flamenco Cordobés

JOSÉ MANUEL ÁLVAREZ Dancer (Sevilla, Spain) Entrar al Juego Engagements: Master teacher at his studio in Barcelona, has performed in many international festivals including Ciutat Flamenco Festival in Barcelona and Festival de Fès des Musiques Sacres

Engagements: Has performed in prestigious tablaos such as Casa Patas and La Cuarta Pared; has accompanied Mario Maya, Antonio Canales, Manuela Carrasco, Merche Esmeralda, Javier Barón, and Rocío Molina; has performed in the Bienal de Sevilla, Festival de Jerez, and Bienal de Málaga

Guitarist (Sevilla, Spain) Alas de Recuerdo Engagements: Has played in many festivals including the Bienal de Flamenco, Festival de Jerez, and Mont de Marsans; toured with the compa-

EXECUTIVE CHEF MARC QUIÑONES

THE HEARTBEAT OF DOWNTOWN’S SOPHISTICATED SOCIAL SCENE.

MIGUEL “EL CHEYENNE” Percussionist (Granada, Spain) Jirones de Gitanería Engagements: Has performed in the tablaos of SacromonteTarantos, Venta Del Gallo, and Tablao Albayzin; has appeared at international festivals including Festival Flamenco Buenos Aires, Arte Flamenco Festival in Monterrey, Festival Flamenco De Albuquerque, Festival Flamenco Mont de Marsan, Festival of La Union, Festival de Jerez, and Bienal de Sevilla

EMILIO FLORIDO Singer (Cádiz, Spain) Entrar al Juego, SIMBIOSIS Engagements: Made first television appearance on Villancicos flamencos on Canal Sur; formed part of the Noche Flamenca company, directed by Santangelo y Soledad Bario; has sung for artists such as Alejandro Granados, Juan Ogalla, Alfonso Losa, Yolanda Heredia, and Isabel Bayón

CLAUDIA CRUZ Dancer (Cádiz, Spain) Entrar al Juego Engagements: Studied at the Cibayi Academy, directed by Charo Cruz; debuted her show “CadizSevilla, Que Maravilla” in the XIX Festival of Jerez; has performed at the Tablao Cordobés, Corral de la Morería, Casa Patas, Villa Rosa, and Las Carboneras

JUAN CAMPALLO

BOLD FLAVORS. CULINARY ADVENTURES.

Primer Premio at the Festival de Jerez; has toured with artists including Mario Maya, Cristina Hoyos, Eva Yerbabuena, Farruco, Matilde Coral, and Manuela Carrasco

ENRIQUE “EL EXTREMEÑO” Singer (Zafra, Spain) Alas de Recuerdo, Jirones de Gitanería, ADN Engagements: Master of singing accompaniment for dance; won El Giraldillo al Mejor Intérprete de Acompañamiento de Cante award at the XIII Bienal de Arte Flamenco and the

MANUEL GAGO Singer (Cádiz, Spain) Entrar al Juego Engagements: Has collaborated and sung for many flamenco artists including Belén Maya, Manolete, Javier Barón, Manuel Reyes, and Isabel Bayón

N E V E R

S T A Y

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O R D I N A R Y

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PACO IGLESIAS

FERNANDO JIMÉNEZ

Guitarist (Sevilla, Spain) Jirones de Gitanería

Dancer (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain) Impetu’s

Engagements: Has performed with Manuela Carrasco and Company, Ballet Andaluía, and Cristina Hoyos and Company

JUAN MONEO

THOMAS POTIRON

Guitarist (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain) Jirones de Gitanería

Percussionist (Nantes, France) Impetu’s

Engagements: Born into the historically renowned Moneo family, known for their generations of emblematic Jerez singers; has worked with Antonio El Pipa and Company

Engagements: Has performed at La Taberna Flamenca tablao in Jerez, is a descendant of the Vargas and Soto Gipsy families and related to José Vargas “El Mono de Jerez” and Ángel Vargas, and began touring internationally at 17 years old

Engagements: Studied at the Nantes Conservatory, Bordeaux Conservatory, and Paris Superior Conservatory; participated in the Parisian cabaret Rasputin; and was invited each year to be a soloist at the classical music festival, Le Coeur en Musique

DANIEL JURADO Guitarist (Spain) Impetu’s Engagements: One of flamenco’s best contemporary guitar accompanists who has worked with many master dancers including Antonio Canales, Jesús Carmona, Pastora Galván, and Karime Amaya

ROBERTO JAÉN Palmero (Cádiz, Spain) Alas de Recuerdo, ADN Engagements: Performed in the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia; currently a percussionist at the El Arenal in Sevilla; has shared the stage with prestigious guitarists such as Ramón Amador and the Iglesias brothers, singers like Rafael de Utrera and Pepe de Pura, and dancers like Rafael Campallo and Manuela Rios

including Los Tarantos, El Carmen, and El Cordobes; has collaborated with artists like Adrián Galia, Javier de la Torre, Antonio “El Pipa,” Miguel Poveda, and Rocío Molina

PHOTO COURTESY OF YLLANA

La Farruca, Mario Maya, Israel Galván, and Farruquito, among others; has accompanied great flamenco guitarists, such as Tomatito and Vicente Amigo

+ BLINDEKOL

Featured ARTISTS

TAMARA LÓPEZ

flamenco dance: 10–11 a.m. flamenco castanets: 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Castanets provided for duration of the class.

LUIS MONEO Singer (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain) Jirones de Gitanería Engagements: Born into the historically renowned Moneo family, known for their generations of emblematic Jerez singers; began as a flamenco guitarist, but best known for his cante

JUAN JOSÉ AMADOR “EL PERRE” Singer (Sevilla, Spain) ADN, Impetu’s

OSCAR LAGO

Engagements: Has worked with the flamenco companies of Joaquín Cortés, Manuela Carrasco, Antonio Canales, Sara Baras, Güito, Manolete,

with Carmela Greco tuesday, june 27–saturday july 1

Dancer (Montilla, Spain) Impetu’s Engagements: Studied at the Royal Academy of Dance; danced with the National Spanish Ballet; has worked with master artists such as Javier Latorre, Manolete, Merche Esmeralda, Belen Maya, Victor Ullate, and Ramón Oller

beginning flamenco

ÁNGEL REYES Dancer (Córdoba, Spain) Impetu’s Engagements: Studied at the Professional Dance Conservatory of Luís del Rio in Córdoba under masters like Rafael del Pino “Keko,” Olga Pericet, Antonio Rios Fernandez, and Mercedes Ruíz; has also studied classical Spanish dance and folkloric dance

To register, send an email to edu.moifa@state.nm.us or call (505) 476-1207. $50 for one-class series (five classes total); $80 for two-class series (ten classes total). Walk-in rate is $15 per class, space permitting.

All classes include museum admission.

This program presented in collaboration with EmiArteFlamenco and in conjunction with the exhibition Flamenco: From Spain to New Mexico, continuing through September 10, 2017.

Enjoy special evening performances

by EmiArteFlamenco at Skylight Santa Fe, June 26 through July 2.

Learn more at emiarteflamenco.com.

Guitarist (Cádiz, Spain) Impetu’s Engagements: Has performed in many prestigious tablaos On Museum Hill in Santa Fe · 505-476-1200 · InternationalFolkArt.org 24

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Featured ARTISTS PACO VEGA Percussionist (Sevilla, Spain) Impetu’s

RAFAEL RODRÍGUEZ Guitarist, Musical Director (Sevilla, Spain) ADN Engagements: Began his study of flamenco guitar at 13 years old under master guitarist Andrés Velázquez; has collaborated with many artists including David Palomar, José Anillo, and Milagros Mengibar

VÍCTOR MÁRQUEZ “EL TOMATE”

DAVID SÁNCHEZ “EL GALLI” Singer (Barcelona, Spain) SIMBIOSIS, Jirones de Gitanería

Guitarist (Córdoba, Spain) SIMBIOSIS

Engagements: Started his career at tablaos such as El Cordobes, Los Gallos, and the Arenal; has accompanied great flamenco dancers such as Juan de Juan, Antonio Canales, Farruquito, Andrés Marín, Rafael de Carmen, Jairo Barrull, El Junco, Alejandro Granados, Pepe Torres, Oscar de los Reyes, Javier Barón, Manuela Carrasco, and Juana Amaya

Engagements: Has worked in numerous shows and with many companies including those of Rafael Amargo, José Porcel, Manuel Liñan, Rafael Martos, Antonio Canales, Guadalupe Torres, Cecilia Gomez, Adrián Santana, and Olga Perice; combines his work in theaters with work in Spain’s most prestigious tablaos

Engagements: Born in Sevilla to a flamenco family; studied with Israel Suárez “Piraña” and Ramón Porrina; has shared the stage with flamenco masters including Farruquito, “El Lebrijano,” Antonio Molino “El Choro,” María Pagés, Joaquín Grilo, Patricia Guerrero, and Montse Cortés

FRANCISCO VINUESA Guitarist (Málaga, Spain) SIMBIOSIS

ANA ROMERO

Engagements: Has performed in various tablaos throughout Spain and has collaborated with dancers like Rocío Molina, Chaparro de Málaga, Paco Javier Jimeno, José Mercé, Arcángel, and Kiko Ventura in Spain and internationally

Palmera (Melborne, Australia) Entrar al Juego Engagements: Master teacher, founder of the Madrid tablao Las Carboneras, performed “Fedra” with Manuela Vargas & Company and “Arsa y Toma” with Cristina Hoyos & Company

JAVIER TERUEL Percussionist (Sevilla, Spain) SIMBIOSIS

Performances Friday - Sunday, Tickets: TablaoFlamenco.org

WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES • TAPAS • CUSTOM COCKTAILS

Engagements: Has worked in numerous shows and with many companies both in Spain and abroad

Located in Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town 505.222.8797 | 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW | HotelABQ.com 26

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A partnership between Heritage Hotels & Resorts and the National Institute of Flamenco

Foundations & Business Supporters

Special Thanks to Our Supporters Thanks to the individuals, families, business, and foundations who believe in the power of flamenco to bring passion and energy into our community. From providing educational opportunities to preserving world-class artistry, your support helps the National Institute of Flamenco achieve its mission year after year.

Atrisco Heritage Foundation BBVA Compass

George K. Baum HB Construction

Bernalillo County

Heritage Hotels and Resorts

Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico

Hispano Chamber of Commerce

CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation

Holman’s Inc

City of Albuquerque: Urban Enhancement Trust Fund Coca Cola Fraternal Order of Eagles 3526 French Funerals and Cremations

imPRonta Public Relations Instituto Andaluz del Flamenco Junta de Andalucia McCune Charitable Foundation National Endowment for the Arts

National Hispanic Cultural Center

University of New Mexico: Office of the Provost

New Mexico Arts

University of New Mexico: Office of Student Affairs

New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs New Mexico Tourism Department Nusenda Foundation Pacificap

University of New Mexico: Department of Theatre & Dance University of New Mexico: Friends of Dance

Sheila Fortune Foundation

University of New Mexico: Office of Global Education

Smith’s

Wells Fargo

SPAIN-USA Foundation

WESTAF Western States Arts Federation

State of U.S. Bank University of New Mexico: Office of the President

FLAMENCO WILL THRIVE BECAUSE OF YOU.

Individual Donors Brett Alexander

Sara Beltran

Evangeline Donkersley*

Larry Geter*

Barbara Kline*

Maria Allison

Lee Blaugrund*

Sue Drean

Amy Gillespie

Rob & Patricia Kurz*

Esteban Ambriz

Yolanda Blea

Denise Egidio

Richard Goldman

Kristy LaMariana

Susan Anderson*

Philip Bock

Marisol Encinias*

Marco & Sarah Gonzales

Monique Leon-Ward

Clara Apodaca*

Doug & Sarah Brown*

Ian & Katie Esquibel

Virgina Gredell

Alan Lewis

Charles Archuleta

Ryan Cangiolosi

Darlene Fattorusso

Justine Grover

Haley Licha

Teresa Archuleta & Diego Gallegos

Xena Carter

Victor Figueroa

Amanda Hamp

Al Lopez*

Adelmo Archuleta* Larry Arellano

Vidalia Chavez

David Fletcher

Elizabeth Harcombe

Edna Lopez*

Jim & Dianne Chavez

Geraline Forbes Isais*

Jason & Rebecca Harrington

Greg & Paige LoPour

Pamella Asquith

Patricia Lee Chavez & Lou Romero*

David Foster & Holly Barnet Sanchez*

David Ater

Aleli & Brian Colon*

Stephen Fritz

John & Nira Avila*

Maria Elena Corral

Jim Baca

Dennis Covington*

Aaron Campbell & Claudia Gallardo de Campbell

Lisa Bailey

Murray & Carol Crawford

Liza Bales

Hap Crawford

Toni Balzano & Johnny Chandler* Molly Bell Alan & Audrey Bell*

Dolores Garcia Jacqueline M. Garcia Octaviano Garcia

Annie D’Orazio

Erika Garcia Haynes

Thomas Davis

Crystal Garcia-Vigil

Maria Estela de Rios

Christina Garza

Rose Diaz

AJ Hedrich

Victoria Madrid

Steve & Judy Heiss

Chris & Helen Maestas*

Tug Herig

Marisa Magallanez*

Paul & LaDonna Hopkins

Ester Marquez

Carlos Enrique Ibarra

Raqui Martinez*

Juanita Jemison

Carmen Martinez*

Donna Jewell

Alissa McKaig

Norty Kalishman

Yolanda Metzgar

Elissa Kannon

Jeff Mitchell

Michelle Kassmann

John & Ginita Molina*

Fred Mondraón & Connie Vance* Manuel-Julian Montoya Steven Moore James Muldoon Adrianna O’Neill Natalie Olague Anne Oliver Carisa Ortega Margarita Ortega y Gomez Jorge Oti Lee Overmyer* Rosalie Pacheco Monica Alisa Padilla Alejadrina Padilla Victoria Padilla Kenya Paley Jeannette Penkar Sandra Penn

Thomas Perez Kymberly Pinder Marc Powell Sandra Richardson Miguel Rios* Huron Robinson Daniel Robles Ambassador Edward Romero* John Salazar Anastacio Sanchez Selina Sarmiento Susan Seligman Rosalyn Sevilla Shanaz Shakoori* Marcellus & Jill Sikking Victoria Silva Wilger Elizabeth Simpson Fabian & Katrina Sisneros Candice Skaggs

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Evan Smalls & Jacqueline M. Garcia Randy Talbot* Vaughn Temple Paige Thomas Jasper Thomas Max & Mindy Thrasher Bob Tinnin* Veronica Torres Coleman Travelstead & Brooks McIntyre* Diego Vaca Kaitland Valencia Cynthia Viramontes José Viramontes Cindy Wall Patricia Weiss Luisa Zaeala *MEMBER OF THE AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE

Without Culture, We Cannot Thrive

J

im and Rebecca Long have deep ties in preserving the art form of flamenco in New Mexico. Innovative in their philanthropy, the Longs and Heritage Hotels & Resorts have an established history of cultural preservation initiatives.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

CULTURE For years, the Longs have personally invested in various community partners and arts organizations around New Mexico. The preservation of New Mexican culture is at the heart of each of these partnerships. Heritage Hotels is the title sponsor for Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, welcoming participants and visiting artists to the city. Heritage Hotels has also generously designated the Institute as beneficiary of its Cultural Cause program and 2015 Montezuma Ball. Investment in these programs and organizations makes a difference. Through the Longs’ commitment, authentic New Mexican culture can grow and proliferate for future generations. Jim Long believes that without culture, we cannot thrive.

ACCESS TO WORLD-CLASS ART The partnership between Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Inc. and the National Institute of Flamenco champions access to world-class arts for New Mexican audiences and tourists alike. The best example is Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, which opened in June 2016 inside of Hotel Albuquerque. This intimate flamenco performance venue meets the challenges of housing an old-world concept for a modern audience. All year long, Tablao guests

experience world-class flamenco in its most traditional format, featuring guest performers from Spain and those from the Institute. Design and production elements in the space are on the cutting-edge of theater technology.

Through this unique venue, both Heritage Hotels and the Institute are invested in providing authentic flamenco experiences and access to world-class art. Jim Long believes both New Mexican audiences and those visiting deserve to be inspired by the best possible artists within the comfort of one of the finest hotels in the state.

FAMILY Jim and Rebecca Long, as well as Heritage Hotels & Resorts, have become an incredibly important part of the National Institute of Flamenco’s community and flamenco family.

We at the Institute join Jim and Rebecca Long in their belief about the importance of the preservation of our unique New Mexican culture for present and future generations.

Together, we share New Mexico’s inspiring traditions to continue to enchant new visitors and old friends. We are also very grateful for the incredible partnership the Institute has with Heritage Hotels & Resorts.

THANK YOU, JIM, REBECCA, AND HERITAGE HOTELS FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY AND SUPPORT!

Garduño’s at Old Town

Located in Hotel Albuquerque 505.222.8766 | 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW | HotelABQ.com 30 30 TH FESTIVAL FLAMENCO

Visit our Albuquerque Winrock & Cottonwood Locations 31 FFI30.ORG

GIVE TODAY!

Building a Legacy of Giving YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK

HOW TO GIVE

EDUCATION FUND

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

EVENT SPONSORSHIP

Support scholarships to the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, Flamenco Kid’s Camp, and Festival Flamenco.

Our needs-based scholarships range from $150–1,500 per student, serving ages 5–22 years old.

As dancers complete their educational training at the Institute and begin apprenticeships with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, support is needed to underwrite the expense of master training through teachers and choreographers preparing them for the concert stage. Yjastros plays an important role in providing professional career opportunities for flamenco dancers and musicians.

National Institute of Flamenco productions reach an average audience of over 100,000 people. Market your business through the art form of flamenco and all it brings to our community.

FESTIVAL FLAMENCO Provide support to present 40+ Spanish artists in workshops and performances in Albuquerque, including a free-to-the-public events.

Funds underwrite artistic fees, travel, immigration, and specific costs for producing Festival Flamenco.

COSTUME RECONSTRUCTION FUND Support the rebuilding of the 1,500+ costumes lost in the devastating 2013 fire for our professional, preprofessional, and children’s companies.

ARCHIVING & PRESERVATION This fund subsidizes the recreation of over 30 years of flamenco photo, video, and media archives lost in the 2013 fire. NIF is working with the National Dance Heritage Coalition to develop best practices in flamenco preservation. Funds support archival positions, equipment, and consultations with key organizations.

MEMBERSHIP When you become a member of the National Institute of Flamenco, your donation works to support quality arts programming in our community and promotes high class flamenco education and performance in Albuquerque.

UNITED WAY Does your employer already participate in a United Way Giving Campaign? If so, please consider a recurring payroll deduction designation to support the Institute.

PLANNED GIVING Through a planned gift, you can provide ongoing support to the National Institute of Flamenco, ensuring that the legacy of flamenco in Albuquerque continues through your lifetime contribution.

AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE

Established in 2010 by Ambassador Edward Romero and his wife Cayetana, the Ambassador’s Circle is an exclusive society of individuals who are passionate about flamenco arts and culture. Funds raised from the Ambassador’s Circle is critical in supporting the National Institute of Flamenco’s mission.

CIRCLE FOUNDERS Ambassador Edward & Cayetana Romero Fred Mondragón, Honorary Consul to Spain Patricia Chavez Brian Colón

Donation Form

Please include this form in the attached envelope.

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Members receive access to advanced ticket purchases for Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, Yjastros Spring & Fall seasons, Conservatory Winter Recital, discounted Member Shopping Days, and Members-Only e-News! $25.00

THE AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE THROUGH TWO INITIATIVES: YOUTH EDUCATION AT FESTIVAL FLAMENCO Provides Festival Flamenco scholarships to youth in our community, giving them access to workshops and concerts given by Spain’s greatest flamenco artists, who have set a global and generational standard of excellence.

$50.00

$100.00

AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE Ambassador’s Circle Founding Membership is automatic with a minimum annual contribution of $500. $500.00

$__________

ADDITIONAL GIFTS Inspired to give by the tragic fire that took our home, Jim Vogel has generously donated 100 giclée prints of La Resurrección to benefit our Costume Reconstruction Fund. $300.00

La Resurreccion Giclee print by Jim Vogel

Name/Company:

VISITING ARTIST FUND Supports the artistic fees and travel costs for Spanish artists to teach and perform in Albuquerque.

Address:

Phone:

To learn more on making a contribution, please contact Marisa Magallanez at marisa@nifnm.org National Institute of Flamenco is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Email:

My check, payable to National Institute of Flamenco, is enclosed.

Please contact me to arrange for credit card payment.

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BUILDING A

FAMILY LEGACY AND A

WORLD-CLASS FESTIVAL

BY APRIL GOLTZ

“

The family dynasty and tradition in flamenco is inherent and important.

Being raised in a flamenco environment has allowed us to live in the art form in a way that is completely organic.”

— EVA ENCINIAS

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E

VA ENCINIAS is in her kitchen making dinner when I call for our scheduled interview. Over the phone, I can hear her chopping vegetables, punctuated by an occasional bark from Chula, the smallest four-legged member of the Encinias family. As founder and director of Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, executive director of the National Institute of Flamenco, full professor of dance at the University of New Mexico, and teacher to the youngest and tiniest students at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, Eva is fueled by boundless energy, enthusiasm, and an ability to juggle a mind-boggling array of constantly moving parts. Together with her children, Eva has created an unparalleled compound of educational and performance opportunities in Albuquerque for flamenco students, professionals, and audiences alike. As we spoke while dinner simmered, Eva reflected on the festival’s thirty-year evolution.

EVA, CAN YOU BRING US BACK TO 1987, WHEN IT ALL STARTED? HOW DID THE FIRST FESTIVAL COME ABOUT?

HOW EXACTLY DID YOU GET ANTONIO CANALES TO COME? HAD YOU STUDIED WITH HIM OR MET HIM PRIOR TO THAT?

Well, I had been on the faculty at the University of New Mexico, teaching for ten years, so by 1987, flamenco had gained some momentum. I had my company Ritmo Flamenco, and there were a few other dancers in New Mexico including Maria Benitez and Teo Morca, but there just were not enough resources for my students to draw upon. My experience couldn’t be the end-all of what they knew flamenco to be. I needed to figure something out that would allow me to regularly invite guests to teach and perform. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew that it was necessary if we were going to move our program forward with any kind of integrity.

That fall, Jim Linnell, the department chair at the time, asked if I could put together a special performance for the 50th anniversary of the College of Fine Arts. He gave me a budget of $3,000. I invited Teo Morca, Lydia Torea, Vicente Romero, and La Conja, along with a few other local people, and we put together our first festival. There was one performance, and two days of workshops with maybe 25 students total. It was beautiful and received really well. Afterwards, Jim asked if we could make it an annual event, and I said yes, for sure!

I didn’t know him, I just called him.

YOU JUST CALLED HIM RIGHT UP? (Laughing) Yeah, I just called him on the phone. All the guest artists, when I tell them that now, they just laugh… At that time, I didn’t know any of them, because I hadn’t been to Spain for some time. I was raising my kids. But I knew of him, of course.

WHEN DID YOU START GETTING STUDENTS FROM OUT OF STATE COMING IN? Well, some people may have traveled from Arizona before, but the tenth anniversary in 1996 was when the festival really began to explode, when we brought Antonio Canales’s full company to perform “Torero.” That year, the scope of the festival widened. We expanded the length to nine days and offered a lot more workshops. We also had a photography exhibit by Elke Stolzenberg, a beautiful artist in his own right. And we debuted our history conference, featuring Angel Alvarez Caballero as the keynote speaker.

(See page 7 for information about this year’s conference).

Eva Encinias

SO WHEN DID THE FESTIVAL EXPAND TO INCLUDE INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS?

WHO WERE SOME OF THE OTHER EARLIEST FESTIVAL ARTISTS FROM SPAIN?

Maria Benitez

Antonio Canales

Teo and Isabel Morca

LOIS GREENFIELD

Jose Greco and Talegón de Córdoba also came in 1992. In 1993, Antonio Canales came for the first time, and Talegón de Córdoba returned. They had never worked together before, and I didn’t know that… (Laughing) Back then, before we could bring full companies, we would just bring solo artists and piece together a cuadro, which was problematic… though it was an interesting process for the artists!

LATATICONTRATACION.BLOGSPOT.COM

That was during the fifth anniversary, in 1992. I invited La Tati first, because when I was about 12 years old visiting Spain with my mom, we went to Tablao Torres Bermejas every night, and Tati was one of the dancers. I remember being so awestruck, and thinking that someday I would like to bring her to Albuquerque.

I always remembered that. So once we could afford to bring artists from Spain that year, the first person I contacted was La Tati.

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La Tati

SEVEN DECADES OF FLAMENCO IN ALBUQUERQUE 1976

1987

2001

2015

Eva begins teaching flamenco courses at the University of New Mexico’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

Festival Flamenco is founded as a celebration of the University of New Mexico’s College of Fine Arts 50th anniversary.

The University of New Mexico offers an MA & MFA in Theatre and Dance, with curriculum in Contemporary and Flamenco Dance.

NIF opens its new home at 1620 Central Ave SE, walking distance to key partners Tierra Adentro and UNM.

The College of Fine Arts creates a BA in Dance with concentration in flamenco.

1950 Clarita Garcia De Aranda, Eva Encinias’s mother, opens a dance studio in Albuquerque, where flamenco is a focal point of study.

1975 Eva founds Ritmo Flamenco, a performing ensemble based in Albuquerque, NM.

1999

1982 Eva incorporates the National Institute of Flamenco into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to preserving and promoting flamenco through education and performance.

IS THIS WHEN YOU REALIZED THE FESTIVAL HAD ACHIEVED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION? Well, it didn’t occur to me until I started traveling back to Spain in the late ’90s, and artists I met would mention it. At this point, more and more artists were beginning to return regularly.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IN PRODUCING THE FESTIVAL YEAR AFTER YEAR? Funding has always been the hardest part. For most of the history of the festival, it hasn’t paid for itself, let alone generated income. We took a major hit for many years, and even had to put the festival on hold one year in 2009, which is why 2017 is the 30th anniversary.

Eva and her children, Joaquin and Marisol, establish the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, Flamenco Kid’s Camp, and Niños Flamencos.

2000 Joaquin begins developing a codified method to teach flamenco in the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts.

2016

2002

2010

Alejandro Granados becomes the first Spanish choreographer to set a new work exclusively for Yjastros.

The National Institute of Flamenco founds Tierra Adentro: The New Mexico School of Academics, Art and Artesanía, a public charter school serving grades 6–12.

2009 Festival Flamenco is awarded distinction by Jerez, Spain, as one of the most important flamenco festivals outside of Spain.

2009 Yjastros celebrates its 20th season with “Blanco, Rojo, y Negro,” showcasing the work of 25 Spanish and American choreographers set exclusively for Yjastros.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE FOLLOWING THE CAREERS OF SOME OF THE ARTISTS WHO HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE FESTIVAL OVER TIME? Well, we have a reputation with artists not just as producers of flamenco, but as a family in Albuquerque that loves and respects the art form, so we’ve been able to develop very personal relationships. They understand the effort we are putting in to develop flamenco, in a very challenging part of the world.

I think as much as it’s been my family watching these artists evolve, it’s been just as much about them watching us evolve.

2012 UNM’s Department of Theatre and Dance creates an artistin-residence position, allowing Spanish master instructors to teach for extended periods.

AMITY SKALA

1995

Yjastros celebrates its 30th season at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Cyrena Huang

FROM ABROAD

2016 The National Institute of Flamenco and Heritage Hotels & Resorts partner to open Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque at Hotel Albuquerque.

2013 In December, a fire destroyed the 15-year home of the National Institute of Flamenco.

organic. A family producing a flamenco festival is very unusual, and the artists see that. They see three generations of my family taking class together, and they understand how special that is.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU FORESEE AS THE FESTIVAL ENTERS ITS THIRD DECADE? Going forward, we are looking to establish partnerships in Spain to create new avenues for support. We also plan on including a few more days in the Festival, and expanding our music classes and guitar and cante concerts.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCING THE FESTIVAL AS A FAMILY?

IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO 1987 AND GIVE ANY ADVICE TO EVA, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL HER?

Well you know, the family dynasty and tradition in flamenco is so inherent and important in flamenco. I think as producers of flamenco here, my children, grandchildren, and I can’t deny the familial experiences we’ve had since we were born. When you’re raised in a flamenco environment, there are certain conventions and an attention to detail that really you can only get when you’ve been raised within that process. I think it has allowed us to live in the art form in a way that is completely

I’d tell her to believe in the impossible. Back then, I didn’t know what the challenges would be, and so much of what I’ve done throughout my career has been possible because I had no idea what was on the other side of the door. I wouldn’t want to have known then what I do now, because I might have been afraid to do it. I jumped off a cliff, and just had faith that something would catch me. It’s ok to be impetuous, it’s ok to do things that seem outlandish because they are bringing something so valuable to the community. And while the festival has cost a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, it’s been worth every drop.

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STUDENTS WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FLAMENCO know how difficult it can be to find quality training and consistent contact with the art form outside of Spain.

But this input is essential: like a plant whose roots derive nutrients from the soil, flamenco communities flourish when they have access to the art form’s cultural source.

Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque fosters flamenco by bringing together the finest artists in the world to work with students on technique and choreography. It offers a carefully crafted workshop experience for all ability levels. Students can take a full day of classes ranging from dance to guitar, cante to costuming, before attending the evening’s featured performances.

Sonia Ann Casillas is a professional dancer and instructor from San Antonio, Texas, who brings her students to the Festival annually. When asked what makes the Festival a priority for her flamenco community each year, she said: “Flamenco Festival Internacional is an event I look forward to every year for myself and to share with my students. These workshops are phenomenal, such a remarkable experience. One can only receive this caliber of training in Spain from these masters. We are so fortunate to have these artists come to Albuquerque!”

Cyrena Huang is a teacher at the Al Mozaico Flamenco Dance Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each year, she and her colleagues travel all the way to New Mexico to attend the Festival. She says that they make the trip because there’s no other festival in the continent that attracts so many legendary artists, or boasts such a comprehensive list of classes to choose from. “Beyond the festival itself,” she says, “The very existence of a flamenco public charter school, university program, conservatory, and Yjastros: the American Flamenco Repertory Company is a marvel and inspiration.” Huang is also quick to point out that flamenco isn’t the only draw that keeps her coming back to New Mexico. As she so rightly points out, “How else would I get my hatch green chiles and honey-dipped sopaipillas?”

tural workers in New Mexico. Arts and cultural industries employ 76,756 people, about 9.8 percent of total employment in the state.

The festival has had an ongoing cultural impact as well, Marisol says. “Every year the festival showcases how different people are doing flamenco in different ways. We’ll bring up-and-coming artists and we’ll also bring someone who is an icon in the art and has an important role historically.”

Between the development of the University program and Tierra Adentro, the charter school, as well as the Conservatory, the flamenco “industry” employs dancers, professors, and those who keep the whole machine running. Tierra Adentro alone employs 45 people.

All this momentum was nearly derailed in 2013 when a fire destroyed the Institute’s home and about 1500 costumes.

Luckily, NIF’s longtime partnership with UNM and Tierra Adentro meant it could use space there to continue offering classes while the organization looked for a new facility. They eventually leased space nearby at 1620 Central Ave. SE, across the street from its charter school. NIF was also beginning discussions with Heritage Hotels to launch Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, the next step in its growth.

NIF had always had performances through the festival and Yjastros, an ongoing performance series at El Farol in Santa Fe, as well as private engagements for meetings or events. But with the opening of Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque at Hotel Albuquerque in 2016, it now has a performance platform that employs local dancers and visiting artists from Spain.

The venue offers a uniquely Albuquerque way for the business community and tourism officials to showcase the cultural richness of the city. The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau often hosts events at Tablao or works with NIF to bring dancers in for meetings and other events. It helps Albuquerque stand out to meeting planners making decisions about where to hold a gathering.

ORGANIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC VITALITY

BY MEGAN KAMERICK

Costumer Ana Sanchez

I

t’s a typical weekday afternoon at the National Institute of Flamenco. Middle and high school students from the Tierra Adentro charter school across the street have finished the school day and now are hard at work in the Institute’s dance studio overlooking Central Avenue.

In a nearby warehouse, seamstress Ana Sanchez runs vibrant pink cloth through a sewing machine, helping create the hundreds of costumes the Institute uses each year and sells at its retail shop, Flecos y Lunares.

A large rehearsal room sits adjacent and Joaquin Encinias, director of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, is preparing studio space for a new component of the charter school: a maker space where students can dive into traditional arts such as woodworking, sewing, and instrument-making.

Meanwhile at the University of New Mexico, visiting flamenco artists-in-residence from Spain are teaching dance students as part of a program the Institute founder Eva Encinias advocated for at the University of New Mexico for years.

Encinias and her mother, Clarita Garcia de Aranda, were pioneers in establishing a vibrant flamenco community in Albuquerque through performance companies and educational outreach.

Eva built on that foundation when she founded the nonprofit National Institute of Flamenco in 1982. Since then, the Institute has grown into a multi-layered organization promoting the art of flamenco, the education of the next generation of artists, and the growth of Albuquerque into one of the biggest destinations for the art form outside of Spain.

“The growth of education drove professional training and development, and that drove opportunities for working artists,” says Marisa Magallanez, NIF’s director of business strategy and philanthropy. “We didn’t know that at the time. It was not a grand plan.”

Eva often calls it organic growth, Magallanez adds, because the development of NIF and its entities, the festival and educational programs, were simply a response to the needs of the community, rather than pre-planned.

The Festival Flamenco Internacional launched in 1987. It now draws some 13,000 attendees every year, with 350 to 400 people coming specifically for the workshops that take place during the festival with top flamenco artists. Many stay in dorms at UNM or in hotels and Airbnbs. About half of those people come from outside of Albuquerque, and from as far away as Brazil, Canada, Australia, and Japan. That mirrors similar trends in Spain, where flamenco classes have increasingly attracted foreign visitors who find the art form exotic and exciting.

“It has become one of the most important flamenco festivals outside of Spain,” says Marisol Encinias, associate director of the National Institute of Flamenco.

NIF and the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UNM estimate the annual economic impact of the festival at $1.3 million.

That’s in line with the ongoing economic role the arts and cultural industries play in the state. In a 2014 study, BBER found the arts and cultural industries contributed $5.6 billion annually to the state’s economy. A total of $2.2 billion in wages and salaries goes to cul-

Audiences delight at Tablao Flamenco

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light, Cooper says.

“One of the key aspects of why you would have a conference Randy Royster, president and CEO of the Community Founat a destination is [asking]: ‘What does that destination bring to dation, also plans to bring the board of directors of the Council the conference in terms of creating a unique experience, adding of Foundations to Tablao when they hold their board meeting a sense of flavor and some culture?’” says Karl Holm, interim vice president for sales, services and sports at Visit Albuquerque. in Albuquerque in June. It includes some of the most prominent foundations in the country, such as the Annie E. Casey Founda“That’s what makes Albuquerque a natural for this, because we tion, the Levi Strauss Foundation, and the John D. and Cathhave this confluence of cultures.” erine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Randy Trask works with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County “I think Tablao will be one of the highlights in terms of how Trade Alliance, which promotes the metro area for foreign direct investment. He has taken several groups to the Tablao, including we entertain them while they’re here,” Royster says.

Royster is also hosting the United Nations Foundation meeta delegation from the mayor’s office in Chihuahua, Mexico, to ing in June and plans to show them Tablao. discuss developing more business and tourism between the citFor NIF, it’s where all the pieces ies, as well as a trade mission of Spanish came together, says Marisa Magalcompanies interested in doing business lanez. Tablao gives dancers a venue to in the state. (One young delegate from perform consistently, build their craft the Basque region of Spain had never alongside artists from Spain, and build seen a live flamenco performance before audiences for flamenco. The venue has going to the Tablao). expanded the annual performances by Building relationships is key to interthe Institute and its affiliated companies national business, Trask says. “Visitors from 250 shows a year to more than want to feel the heartbeat of our city. The 450. Since opening, it has continued unique experience we are able to share The National Institute of Flamenco’s to organically shape the growth of the with our guests at the Tablao instantly beFlecos y Lunares can provide organization, Magallanez says. comes an unforgettable part of their visit,” custom costumes for dancers and NIF employs 14 full- and part-time he says. “People want to do business with companies. It carries skirts, shoes, staff. It also works with another 65 people they like and trust, and what better mantons, castanets, abanicos, and people, such as costumers, dancers, and way to create such friendships than the gifts for the flamenco enthusiast. other artists, and it contracts with 65 to way it’s been done for thousands of years: Located at 1620 Central Ave. SE, 70 artists annually from Spain. In addiwith food, drink, and dance.” and online at www.etsy.com/shop/ tion to getting paid work, or contracts Yuriria Morales, international manageflecosylunares performing via Tablao, young dancment representative with the Albuquerers also get the chance to hone their que Hispano Chamber of Commerce, craft by performing regularly, she says. says flamenco is usually on the list of “I think since that has opened, we’ve things she shows visitors when the learned a lot about what is next for NIF.” Chamber is recruiting conferences to come to Albuquerque.

That starts with the educational pipeline that keeps students One recent group that came was the National Hispanic Corpoengaged throughout their lives in flamenco and art, Magalrate Council. lanez says. NIF also wants to continue helping prepare students The growth of NIF allows the Hispano Chamber to showcase for careers by offering them continued training and work, via flamenco year round, Morales says. She can take them to Tablao Tablao. And the Institute is also looking to create more interor NIF will work with groups to do private performances. national networks in Spain to help students and to foster the The Albuquerque Community Foundation hosted the continued growth of flamenco here. board of Living Cities at Tablao, a conglomeration of some of Currently about 70 percent of NIF’s $1.5 million budget is the largest foundations and financial institutions in the world. from earned income, including ticket sales, tuition, and its retail (Albuquerque has been named one of those living cities and the shop, where it sells skirts, shoes, and accessories, which brings project’s goals include creating 10,000 jobs here by 2025). The in $120,000 annually. The other 30 percent comes from state city’s multicultural nature was one reason it was selected, says and local grants, individual donors, and grants form the NationKelli Cooper, vice president of the Community Foundation, so al Endowment for the Arts and the Princess Grace Foundation.

Community Foundation leadership wanted to showcase things Magallanez says NIF hopes to bring in more funders from in Albuquerque that reflect that fact. Attendees raved about the experience. “It was super impressive and showcased Albuquerque outside New Mexico and build collaborations with government organizations in Spain. NIF is also working on a campus with in exactly the light we want to be seen in,” she says.

Tierra Adentro charter school that would house all of its operaThe Community Foundation also hosted a local group of its young donors there, many of whom saw their city in a whole new tions. Details are still in the works.

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¡olé! thank you for supporting the legacy of flamenco in new mexico!

What makes a great flamenco artist?

A profound knowledge and understanding of the tradition of flamenco; the great musicians, singers, and dancers past and present; and being able to reference these when making both traditional and experimental choices in choreography and performance.

The

Education of a

FLAMENCO ARTIST

BY DONNA JEWELL

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W

HEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ARTISTS, they often seem to refer to them as some kind of mythical creatures emerging from crystal vaults lined with gold and falling stars, fully formed beings of talent, skill, inspiration, knowledge and soul. Creativity and the human connection to the muse inspire awe, yet sometimes also fear and misunderstanding in the hearts of many. How often have I heard relatives back home express their not-so-veiled dismissiveness of the practice, research, discipline and outright sweaty work of being an artist? Not seeing and experiencing the daily practice of honing one’s skills in the arts, it all seems like a gift from above, or below, that spouts without effort from the body/mouth/personality of the artist. Because the arts, when done well, appear effortless, these casual and sometimes skeptical viewers may be duped into believing that there is very little or practically no preparation for the event, that these components of inspiration made manifest spew haphazardly, even chaotically, into the world through the artist as messenger.

I often wonder if these viewers think of artists not as those who strive repeatedly in their work until the right element is found, but instead as metaphorical wranglers and sheep herders, corralling a piece of art sent from the gods into a form humans can access and understand. Perhaps this is not far from the truth. Yet many of us know it takes hours, days, weeks, years to become a graceful, accomplished wrangler of one’s own artistic ideas and present them in a fashion fit to be shared with others. If you are lucky enough to see works of art and artists at work who inspire and amaze you, then you have had the privilege of witnessing the perfect union of talent, skill, inspiration, knowledge, hard work, and soul.

What makes a great flamenco artist? A profound knowledge and understanding of the tradition of flamenco; the great musicians, singers, and dancers past and present; and being able to reference these when making both traditional and experimental choices in choreography and performance. Flamenco is an evolving entity, wherein artists of today express incredibly complex musical and rhythmic phrasing, sophisticated emphasis of songs, falsettos, and counterpoint, along with virtuosity in movement with a large range of motion and unadulterated speed.

What is the essence of flamenco? Perhaps it is a knowledge of, and indebtedness to, history and culture, paying homage to previous artists, making authentic choices, knowing the early musicians and their influence. It is learning a language with enough familiarity to speak it as a form of expression unlike any other. It is a way in which you see the world; a rhythmic sensibility that allows you to get up and throw down and hold it all together, whether through singing, palmas, playing the guitar, or dancing. Skill and knowledge? Absolutely. Talent and inspiration? Without a doubt. Hard work and soul? You bet. All of the above. All the time.

A lifelong journey with FLAMENCO

A

THRIVING ECOSYSTEM OF FLAMENCO education has developed in Albuquerque. Professor Eva Encinias began teaching flamenco classes at the University of New Mexico in 1976 and found an environment dedicated to semester-length classes with a progression of study. Eva began to develop pedagogical methods and a fundamental curriculum based not on learning flamenco through repertory dances, as was tradition, but through technique—where students repeat drills of the skills that form the basis of repertory work. As Eva developed the curriculum further into beginning, intermediate, and advanced level technique, it

became clear that the students, as well as the area’s practicing professionals, were also in need of exposure to the world’s finest flamenco artists of today.

Eva, and her mother, Clarita Garcia de Aranda, established a vibrant flamenco community here through a performance company and educational outreach by the mid 1980s. From this university experience, the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts first opened in 1999 as a school for the community providing a consistent, long-term curriculum of study for those who want to pursue flamenco and be flamenco performing artists. The Encinias family regarded the school as a means to offer flamenco studies in a more

3–5 YEARS OLD

6–12 YEARS OLD

13–15 YEARS OLD

At the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, children are introduced to the dynamic and nuanced world of flamenco sensibility and discipline.

At 6-12 years of age, children move on to a more intermediate level of study, with performance opportunity available through Niños Flamencos, a children’s performance company.

Middle and high school students enjoy opportunities to study flamenco dance and music on a daily basis. Through both public and community education, students enter intermediate and advanced levels of study, and experience more frequent and disciplined training.

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Tierra Adentro charter school provides a unique opportunity for middle and high school students to study flamenco music and dance in a public school setting.

Tierra Adentro of New Mexico

THE NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF ACADEMICS, ART AND ARTESANIA FFI30.ORG

THE ECOSYSTEM AT WORK

BY KEIKO OHNUMA “In New Mexico, protégés of the state’s flamenco pioneers are now in their primes,” Nicolasa Chavez writes in The Spirit of Flamenco. Students from The Conservatory of Flamenco Arts have become professionals; Tierra Adentro graduates now study at UNM, in both undergraduate and graduate courses; and University of New Mexico dance students are now professors, ethnomusicologists, flamencologists, and performers.

ELOY GONZALES IS A LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF FLAMENCO on the unsuspecting and initially wary. He and his parents decided to check out Tierra Adentro charter school because they got a postcard in the mail showing a boy playing the trumpet, and Gonzales liked band.

“I had no idea,” he says, adding that he was quite disappointed to find the school had no band.

Besides academic classes, students at Tierra Adentro: The New Mexico School of Academics, Art and Artesania study dance, guitar, visual art, and Spanish every day in middle school, and focus on one area in high school. The first year, Gonzales had all-day Saturday classes in flamenco.

“I hated it!” he recalls. “It was awful to wake up on Saturdays. I hated guitar and I hated dancing.”

But something happened over his two years in program, and he started to enjoy both. “I started to really develop an understanding of what I was doing and why it was important,” he says. “It filled me with a pride and joy I hadn’t experienced before.”

Now an undergraduate at the University of New Mexico, studying music and still dancing flamenco, Gonzales agrees that it was his education that made him into an artist. “First of all because flamenco is a lifestyle, not just an art form—I find myself learning that more and more every day.”

As to whether he would have ended up where he is without Tierra Adentro, Gonzales is certain he would have pursued music in any case, but in this case it led him to a path that will probably lead him to study in Spain.

“It really takes over your life before you know it.”

Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, where children are introduced to the dynamic world of flamenco sensibility and discipline.

These early classes focus on rhythm and coordination, grace and tradition. Each level builds upon the skills developed in the previous session. Gradual introduction to the culture of flamenco begins early, and performance is integral to education. By ages six through 12, students can join Ninos Flamencos, a children’s performance company.

The Encinias family surveyed the area and research revealed one more school was necessary to fully realize the flamenco edu-

comprehensive way than an independent studio. Students immerse themselves in the global context of flamenco with a 12-level curriculum. It encompasses year-round pre-professional training, children’s and adult community classes, performance training, and engagement with Spanish guest artists. The Conservatory educates individuals and families in the artistic study of flamenco music and dance, all while instilling the less publicly apparent values of hard work and perseverance—values that benefit students throughout every aspect of their lives.

Those three to five years old can begin their education in the

15-18 YEARS OLD

18 YEARS OLD +

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

As students mature in their flamenco studies, they engage in the highest levels of training before the professional experience begins. Performance experience intensifies as students present flamenco around the city in performance companies, including Teeños Flamencos and Tierra Adentro Flamenco Ensemble.

At 18 years of age, students enter the University of New Mexico’s flamenco concentration in the Dance Program.

The University of New Mexico provides a unique opportunity for the flamenco student—they can receive a BA in Dance with a flamenco concentration in the Dance Program.

Though UNM’s Visiting Professor Program, dance majors concentrating in flamenco have unparalleled access to master flamenco teachers and choreographers throughout the year, providing a diverse range of training for developing artists.

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A CASUAL STUDENT OF DANCE WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG, KAYLA LYALL got drawn into the art of flamenco after she started taking lessons at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts at the National Institute of Flamenco. From dropping in two days a week, “I started going as often as I could, four or five days a week,” says Lyall, now an instructor at the school and a professional dancer.

The school was then developing a curriculum designed to teach flamenco to those who had no background in the multidimensional cultural aspects behind the music and dance form. Joaquin Encinias, son of Eva Encinias, took a scientific approach, Lyall said.

“He broke it down into smaller elements, really specific, so it wasn’t like showing up to learn a dance. We learned the technical aspects, musical aspects, as well as on a physical and emotional level. It worked really well for someone like me, who didn’t know what I was getting into.”

Gradually her commitment grew with her skill and cultural immersion. She joined Encinias’s dance company Yjastros in 2004, and began to pass on her knowledge, as is the tradition of the artform; today she is assistant director of Yjastros and teaches at both the Conservatory and Tierra Adentro, the nation’s only flamenco-based charter school.

Having worked with flamenco dancers from around the world, Lyall says New Mexico–trained dancers “really, really honor the tradition,” but also understand that they bring their own American identities to their performance. “Because at the end of the day we’re doing art, and it doesn’t mean anything if you’re just trying to replicate something else.”

ILLEANA GOMEZ GOT BITTEN BY THE FLAMENCO BUG EARLY, studying ballet and classical Spanish

cational experience here. Tierra Adentro: The New Mexico School of Academics, Art and Artesania was born in 2010 to serve middle and high school students. A charter school dedicated to the arts in daily practice, the school’s mission includes the practice of the preservation of New Mexican culture and heritage through flamenco.

From sixth grade through 10th, students take classes in the arts on a daily basis, and after 10th grade they choose a focus of arts study, be it visual arts, artesania, music, or dance. The school day consists of half a day of academics and half a day of the arts. As might be expected, students learn a thorough sense of work ethic and their

dance forms as a young child and falling in love with flamenco. Growing up in Laredo, Texas, she realized “I had a lot to learn in terms of musicality and the culture, so I went on my own self-discovery.”

As a college student in anthropology who had never stopped dancing, she decided to pursue her true passion and travel to Madrid on her own, enrolling in a flamenco school. When it came time to return home, she chose Albuquerque because “I thought that was the best route to go in the U.S. to study seriously.”

Starting at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, she soon applied to the graduate program at the University of New Mexico, the nation’s only accredited dance program with a concentration in flamenco. Among UNM’s undergraduate dance majors, about a third each year make flamenco their focus of study. Gomez finished the three-year graduate program in 2010.

Even before completing her MFA, she was performing and touring, first with Yjastros, based at the National Institute of Flamenco, and then with the renowned Maria Benitez and Juan Siddi companies in Santa Fe. Today she is a professional flamenco dancer based in Austin, Texas, who teaches and performs nationally, including at the venerable Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco.

“I was lucky that I had some connection to Spanish dance,” she says of her focused education, “but that’s not flamenco culture. And I think in Albuquerque they do a good job of exposing students to the culture and music, structure and improvisation, to capture the essence of it, which doesn’t just revolve around learning steps and choreography.”

study of the arts improves their performance in academic courses.

But perhaps what may be the most influential element of the Tierra Adentro experience is the education of student parents, family members, and friends of what an artist actually does and what an artist actually is. This new understanding of the arts and the hard work it takes to be an artist by those who do not practice the arts continues to have a significant influence on the future of the arts in Albuquerque.

For college and graduate students, the University of New Mexico Department of Theatre and Dance devised and implemented the

THE CONTINUUM

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In what may well be the most beautiful part of the Flamenco Continuum, the generational continuity emerges when lifetime students introduce their young children to study at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, continuing the self-propelling circle of the flamenco experience.

Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company is a culminating point in the educational process, providing a structure for artists to dance professionally in a repertory company setting.

The backbone of the flamenco experience in Albuquerque is the widespread community involvement. Enthusiasts, practitioners, and patrons engage through education, volunteer, and performance experiences throughout their lives.

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THE SCHOOLS

Tierra Adentro:

University of New Mexico

THE NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF ACADEMICS, ART AND ARTESANIA

The University of New Mexico offers a concentration in flamenco in the undergraduate program through the Theatre and Dance Department in the College and Fine Arts. This flamenco concentration at the collegiate level is an internationally acclaimed program and the only one of its kind. Students have the opportunity to study with guest professors from Spain and participate in the university’s Flamenco Dance Ensemble, directed by Marisol Encinias. This training program enhances the student’s flamenco experience and exposes them to career and professional performance opportunities.

The road to learning language, culture and New Mexican heritage through the arts, core academics and inherited traditions.

• Grades 6-12 • Comprehensive arts curriculum Tierra Adentro of New Mexico • Professional dance training • Integration with the University of New Mexico, including dual credit

celebratinG LETTER FROM cultural legacy AMBASSADOR ED ROMERO The Ambassador’s Circle raises funds to preseve and promote the art of flamenco.

Membership begins at $500 annually.

THE NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF ACADEMICS, ART AND ARTESANIA

LIST OF UNM ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE OCTOBER- NOVEMBER 2012: Mercedes Amaya NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012: Carmen la Talegona JANURARY-FEBRUARY 2013: Concha Jareño APRIL-MAY 2013: Alejandro Granados AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 3013: José Maya OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013: José Galván FEBRUARY-MARCH 2014: Nino de los Reyes FEBRUARY-MARCH 2014: Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernandez AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2014: Antonio Canales NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014: Manuela Ríos JANURARY- FEBRUARY 2015: Pedro Córdoba APRIL-MAY 2015: Valeriano Paños AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015: Gala Vivancos OCTOBER 2015: Javier Latorre NOVEMBER 2015: Alfonso Losa JANURARY- FEBRUARY 2016: Olga Pericet APRIL-MAY 2016: Valeriano Paños & Rafael Estévez AUGUST-OCTOBER 2016: Lucía la Piñona OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2016: Iván Vargas MARCH-APRIL 2016: Jesús Carmona JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017: Adrián Santana

tierraadentronm.org

Conservatory of Flamenco Arts From Baby Flamenco, ages 3-5 to Advanced Technique and Repertory, classes for all levels and ages from 3 years old and beyond. Special Guest Artists from Spain. For information and a complete class schedule, contact nationalinstituteofflamenco.org

“That nature and depth of what we do on an educational and programmatic level—there isn’t another organization that does work like we do,” says Marisol Encinias. These dedicated Albuquerque area directors, artists, and educators share the conviction that their partnership makes the flamenco educational experience here the deepest, best informed experience possible for students of all ages.

world’s first Bachelor of Arts dance concentration in flamenco. The development of a guest professorship in flamenco at UNM in 2010 brings artists and educators of the highest caliber each semester to teach classes and set works, exposing the students to unprecedented experience. With its comprehensive study of flamenco technique, choreography, and history and student exposure to current, internationally renowned artists in the field, the flamenco area of study in the dance program at UNM is unlike any program in the world.

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ED ROMERO

SUMMER 2017 AT EL FAROL O N C A N YO N R OA D

Escape for an evening of flamenco with traditional Spanish tapas and wine in a romantic garden setting. This summer, at Santa Fe’s El Farol on historic Canyon Road, witness up close the intimate connection between flamenco dancer, singer and guitarist as they weave their way through complex rhythms and haunting melodies.

Come be transformed.

EL FAROL: 505.983.9912 ELFAROLSF.COM 808 CANYON ROAD, SANTA FE, NM

Choreographed Spontaneity

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HERE IS A KIND OF SOLEMN REVERENCE ASSOCIATED WITH LARGE THEATERS. They are majestic and pristine with their tightly knit rows, velvet curtains, and ushers formally adorned with sashes. Their programs are developed months in advance. Light cues are meticulously synced with choreographies that have undergone years of development, sometimes through multiple casts. These great theaters have given rise to the repertory company. From the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company to the New York City Ballet, the American tradition of developing an elaborate and complex repertoire of work has inspired countless audiences. These living art installations are produced through the collaborative effort of many people over long periods of time.

These collections of choreography are preserved and maintained by a group of dedicated artists and brought to life in the theater, where the public may experience afresh the work of Balanchine, Graham, or Fosse, as well as new works by new artists.

Yjastros, the American Flamenco Repertory Company, applies these same principles and methods of preservation to the world of flamenco dance. Founded in 1999 by director Joaquin Encinias, it is the only true flamenco repertory company in the United States, and serves as a living, kinetic archive, showcasing repertoire specifically designed to be experienced in a theater setting. Yjastros maintains an extensive body of choreography ranging from traditional to avant-garde, conceived by some of the world’s most diverse and critically acclaimed flamenco artists, and in many cases created especially for the company.

Choreography designed for the theater is informed and inspired by factors unique to these spaces. The audience perspective and the sheer space available for movement play into choreographers’ artistic choices. Spanish dance repertory companies such as Ballet Nacional de España, Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia, and flamenco repertory companies like Yjastros, perform flamenco in a format that is meant to be experienced on a grand scale, incorporating multiple dancers, and producing larger-than-life experiences by virtue of their size, scope, and distance between audiences and performers.

BY FABIAN SISNEROS

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ABLAOS, HOWEVER, ARE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BREED OF PERFORMANCE SPACE. Strictly speaking, the word tablao means “a wooden floor to dance upon.” But beyond its original, literal definition, a tablao is a setting for flamenco art, and a style of presentation in direct contrast to that of the theater.

A tablao is intimate, festive, and familiar. Tablaos are small, and seating is limited to a collection of tables and chairs, where the audience enjoys drinks and food. The central feature of the space, of course, is the tablao itself, a small but elevated stage where flamenco artists perform face-to-face with their audience. Intimacy characterizes these performances not only because of the close proximity of the audience to the performers, but also due to the open and free nature of the performance itself. Artists are near each other on stage, giving them the freedom to closely communicate, to improvise, and to take risks.

Essential elements of a tablao include the singer, guitarist, and dancer. A great number of artists may be added to this mix: palmeros (those who maintain the rhythm with hand-clapping, an art form in its own right), percussionists, and any other musician initiated in the secrets of flamenco. This group, called a cuadro, is essential to the tablao. This fusion of artistry is tasked with the job of harmonizing musical ideas into a seamless performance. But inevitably, tension arises. It’s unscripted. There is no predicting what will happen in a tablao. This is the origin of flamenco’s reputation for high drama and deep passion. It is flamenco in the moment.

Aficionados of tablao performances often regard them as the most exciting and most authentic way to experience flamenco. At the turn of the 20th century, during what is often called the “Golden Age” of flamenco, cafe cantantes, or music cafes, were abundant in southern Spain. These cafes competed for the after-hour crowds that frequented the large theaters and opera houses. They were loud, boisterous bars full of festive energy that often lasted throughout the night. Customers expected to eat, drink and be entertained.

Intense competition among these small venues gave birth to the astonishing level of technique that is so admired in flamenco artists.

These same cafes produced many of the first legends of flamenco.

It was during this time that flamenco flourished, developing into a fine art that would later be recognized by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity.”

As the successor to the cafe cantante, the tablao continues to serve flamenco artists and those who support them by providing the setting through which the early spirit of flamenco may be rekindled.

It is where young artists test their skills against the experience of their elders, where elders refresh their creative spirit with the energy of the incoming generation, where masters of flamenco pass along their knowledge.

For many years, tablaos in Albuquerque were held in a temporarily transformed dance studio at the National Institute of Flamenco (photo previous page). Humble tables and chairs were arranged; lighting was dimmed; and students, families, and passersby would cram in to catch a glimpse of the action. Today, tablaos are hosted in a beautifully crafted venue at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, located within Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. Each week, the tablao hosts performances from featured international artists, members of Yjastros, advanced students from the National Institute of Flamenco, and other local and national artists showcasing their individual styles and idiosyncrasies up close and personal.

Though founded just a year ago, the Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque at the Hotel Albuquerque is steeped in the rich and storied history of an art form dating back hundreds of years and a continent away. It is with deep reverence to this history that the venue was conceived and created, with meticulous attention paid to the intimacy and culture that a tablao requires in order to create an authentic space

La Popi, Tablao Villa Rosa

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ONE TABLAO ARTIST’S PERSPECTIVE Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque at Hotel Albuquerque

for the flamenco artists who perform there and the audiences who seek an intense and immersive experience, if only for one evening.

From the Sevillan tapas and numerous sangrias served at the tablao’s community table to the innovative lighting and sound system to the space’s thoughtful design, which fuses Spanish Colonialism with a modern aesthetic, the Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque aims to create a permanent performance space in New Mexico.

The Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque was born of a partnership between The National Institute of Flamenco and Heritage Hotels & Resorts, the largest independent hotel group in New Mexico, of which the Hotel Albuquerque is a member hotel. Heritage commits a percentage of its revenue from each of its hotels and resorts to a cultural cause. The company is also the title sponsor of the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque.

THE TABLAO SCHEDULE: Shows are performed at the Tablao Flamenco each week, Friday through Sunday; most Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8:00 p.m., with Sundays shows beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Check the Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque website for exact show information and times. www.tablaoflamenco.org

Tablaos Around the Globe A SAMPLING OF TABLAOS FROM SPAIN TO NEW MEXICO… TABLAO LAS CARBONERAS (Madrid) – Located in an old palace basement, Las Carboneras boasts a schedule heavy with renowned flamenco artists and hosts its own contests to help give emerging talent their start.

TABLAO VILLA ROSA (Madrid) – Set inside a beautifully decorated and storied restaurant dating back over a 100 years, Villa Rosa is known for excellent flamenco shows and traditional Spanish cuisine.

CORRAL DE LA MORERÍA (Madrid) – El Corral de la Morería hosts some of the most preeminent flamenco dancers and musicians in the world and is located in the heart of the city.

TABLAO FLAMENCO LOS GALLOS (Sevilla) – Considered one of the most notable and celebrated tablaos in Andalucia, Los Gallos is a can’t-miss for those seeking the ultimate flamenco experience.

CASA PATAS (Madrid) – Split into a tavern and a tablao, Casa Patas prides itself on the authenticity of its traditional Spanish cuisine and flamenco shows.

TABLAO FLAMENCO EL ARENAL (Sevilla) – Founded by flamenco great Curro Vélez in 1975, this tablao is located in the cultural heart of Sevilla and offers many bold-name artists and an Andalusian menu.

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TABLAO FLAMENCO CORDOBES BARCELONA (Barcelona) –Tablao Flamenco Cordobes offers a world-renowned flamenco show.

PALACIO DEL FLAMENCO (Barcelona) – Located in an old theater in central Barcelona that re-opened in 2006 after extensive renovations, the Palacio can accommodate up to 450 guests for dinner and a show.

TABLAO FLAMENCO GARLOCHÍ (Tokyo) – An elegant setting to enjoy flamenco culture in Japan’s capital city, Garlochí presents top artists

from Spain and Spanish cuisine made from Japanese ingredients.

TABLAO FLAMENCO ALBUQUERQUE (Albuquerque) – Located in historic Old Town, Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque was created through a partnership between Heritage Hotels and Resorts and the National Institute of Flamenco to preserve and promote the art of flamenco in the United States.

CAVA TABLAO RESTAURANT (Miami) – Featuring Friday and Saturday flamenco shows on its traditional tablao, Cava is dedicated to serving guests an authentic Spanish evening in Miami.

Ana Romero is teaching a tablao class at Festival Flamenco and performing in the Marco Flores Company show Entrar al Juego.

A fierce performer who draws you in with incredible energy—even when she is simply doing palmas—isn’t someone you’d expect to be a bit shy. Yet Romero, seasoned performer and respected artist, doesn’t consider herself ambitious or outgoing. She never intended to be a performer when she moved to Spain from Australia at age 22. She had studied flamenco as a child with the Spanish club her family belonged to after they emigrated from Spain. She had taken classes as a teenager in Cordova, Huelva, and Madrid, but she was intimidated when she arrived in Spain to live as an adult. “I was very shy at the beginning; I was very careful,” says Romero. But other artists noticed her. And they soon encouraged her to perform in tablao.

Decades later, Ana Romero is one of the most important flamenco tablao artists in Madrid. She has been a featured artist at Las Carboneras for the last 17 years, and her experience speaks volumes to aspiring flamenco artists who are born outside of Spain. “It can be scary,” says Romero, but in Spain you can “drink from the fountain.” Though not born into a flamenco family, she has one today. She is a part of the collective of artists who present in two shows a night, six nights a week at Las Carboneras. This incredible daily work of creativity gives Romero a unique perspective in the flamenco world, one that appreciates variety: “The more diversity we have, the more information we have, the better it is for any art form. It makes it richer. We don’t want it closed.”

The diversity of artists featured in Romero’s tablao (switching out every 15 days) stimulates fresh work in what could otherwise become routine. “The day-to-day work is very difficult,” says Romero, “especially as you are getting older, and sometimes it is not just the dancing but the palmas that is very tiring for us. Las ganas, motivation, and desire can be lost but we are a group that thrives off one another.”

Since flamenco often features a solo dancer, one might misinterpret it as an individualistic art form, but flamenco is shared work. Perhaps this is even reflected in Romero’s “timid” character when she explains that good flamenco tablao doesn’t make a star out of just one person. Rather, “In tablao we are a group. We focus on being able to work as a collective, being able to empathize with each other all of the time by speaking the same language.” That language? It is an emotional one, Romero insists. And one that is about “200% intuition.” The art of intuiting what will be sung, what will be played, what others will feel—and being receptive to it—is what Romero and her colleagues practice each time they step onto a stage together.

Resting after a show, Romero sits next to her tablao family and often finds herself in awe of the generosity of her collaborators. She is amazed and surprised with every show, she says. This gratitude might prove that Romero isn’t as shy and timid as she is magnanimous. The generous advice she gives to those who may also be feeling a little intimidated in flamenco? Romero simply says, “Study. Listen. Be yourself.”—Mele Martinez

MELAZA MUSIC, THE NHCC, AND AMP CONCERTS PRESENT

Music, Family and Friends, Drinks, Dancing and Fun!

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

SUNDAY, JULY 9

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

BARACUTANGA

ARTISTIC IMPRESSIONS

BOLEROS AL ATARDECER

LONE PIÑON, OTILIO RUIZ AND CHUY MARTÍNEZ

TRADISÓN

SUNDAY, JULY 23

SUNDAY, JULY 2

LOS TEXMANIACS & MARIACHI FLOR DE TOLOACHE

LOS HACHEROS

BY ALISSA KINNEY MOE

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ew Mexico artist and dancer Isabel Hees will be showing a collection of works at this year’s Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque entitled Huellas: Impressions Through Movement, inspired by and representative of 15 dancers, many of whom have served as visiting artists at some point at the University of New Mexico’s highly lauded flamenco program. In creating her prints, Isabel hoped to embody and reflect the individual dancers as much as their movements.

Her artist statement explains: I document flamenco baile using the process of printmaking as my recording device. While flamenco baile

is often sonically and visually recorded, Huellas seeks to imprint each baile graphically and metaphorically, translating an artist’s raw, ephemeral movement into abstracted, finite shapes, textures, patterns, and dibujos.

Huellas, which means footprint in Spanish, began when Isabel was a student at UNM, taking both printmaking and flamenco classes with Festival Flamenco founder Eva Encinias. “I discovered that I could carve with my feet onto a wooden surface and decided to use flamenco as a mode of impression-making, capturing the movement in the grain of the wood,” says Isabel.

Eventually, Isabel decided to focus on Huellas full-time.

Admission…$12 Kids 12 and under…FREE!

Delicious drinks and cuisine from

guava tree café

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE

National Hispanic Cultural Center 1701 4th Street SW • Albuquerque, NM 87102

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(505) 724-4771 www.nhccnm.org

TWELFTH ANNUAL

NEW MEXICO JAZZ FESTIVAL A L B U QU E R QU E | SA N TA F E

JULY 13-AUGUST 5, 2017 PHAROAH SANDERS, RAVI COLTRANE, PAT MARTINO, RENÉ MARIE, AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, JANE BUNNETT & MAQUEQUE, BUIKA, DEXTER GORDON PROJECT, LOS LOBOS, & MORE!

NEWMEXICOJAZZFESTIVAL.ORG

TWO BANDS EVERY THURSDAY

JUNE 15-AUGUST 17

One of her subjects and collaborators was Lucía La Piñona, who spontaneously danced on a balsa wood matrix in Isabel’s living room one day to give her the relief she would later use for an exquisite print covered with pressed delphinium flowers. “[Lucía] was such a fierce and fluid, sky-scraping mover. I remember watching her dance at the back of the tablao and I felt like her limbs would reach out and touch me. She was soft and delicate as a person, thoughtful and contemplative. But she was also aggressive in her dancing and her love and celebration of art.” With the balsa reliefs, Isabel prints in ink onto paper or fabric in intentionally “earthy” colors such as sepia, mustard yellow, and violet-hued brown.

While some of the prints will hang from galvanized pipe stands, others will be framed. Participating dancers include: Olga Pericet; Nani Paños and Rafael Estevez (who collaborated on one piece); Lucía La Piñona; Jesus Carmona; La Popi; Adrian Santana; Marisol Encinias; Eva Encinias; Joaquin, Nevarez, and Jose Encinias (who also collaborated on one piece); Tacha González; Elena Osuna; and Lucía Campillo. A portion of the profits from the show will go towards the guest artist housing fund.

HUELLAS WILL BE ON VIEW THROUGHOUT FESTIVAL FLAMENCO AT THEATER VENUES FROM JUNE 10–17. FOR INQUIRIES, CONTACT ISABEL HEES AT ISABELAHEES@GMAIL.COM; 505.819.9904

210 Yale SE | 505.268.0044 | outpostspace.org

We a r e h e r e ! 3 0 t h F e s t i v a l F l a m e n c o o f A l b u r q u e r q u e

Handmade Shoes | Quality leather | Natural silk shawls | Castanets | Accessories and more 250 W 54th St. 8th floor, New York, NY, 10019 | (212) 541.8401 | www.menkesflamenco.com

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Thank you for supporting 30 years of Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque!

See you next year!

June 9-16, 2018

e h t n i h Ric rdinary o a r t x E ALBUQUERQUE

(505) 842-9003•siabq.org

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