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'Flamenco is a part of the fabric of life in New Mexico': Annual festival returns with world-class performances, workshops
Each June, a spotlight is on sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
For the past 37 years, Festival Flamenco Alburquerque has brought world-class flamenco to the area for enrichment.
This year, it鈥檚 no different.
Marisol Encinias, National Institute of Flamenco executive director, and her team have been tirelessly working since August 2023 on the festival.
Festival Flamenco Alburquerque returns with world-class performances, workshops
鈥淚t鈥檚 nearly a year-long process,鈥 Encinias says. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 festival is bigger than last year. We鈥檝e got even more programming during the entire festival.鈥
Festival Flamenco Alburquerque is the oldest and largest flamenco festival outside of Spain.
It will include 20 performances, over 60 free and paid workshops, 13 internationally-based performance companies, one New Mexican company, two world premiere shows and over 90 performers.
Encinias says there will be an incredible range of international artists coming to the festival.
鈥淲e have over 80 work visas that we鈥檝e helped get for the festival,鈥 she says. 鈥淭his is a big event.鈥
Flamenco dancer Karime Amaya 鈥 grandniece of the legendary Carmen Amaya 鈥 will have the world premiere of 鈥淐ontrapunto.鈥
Internationally-renowned dancer Farruquito will have the U.S. premiere of 鈥淐on-Cierto Flamenco.鈥
Encinias says El Pele, who is one of flamenco鈥檚 greatest living singers, will perform a show. El Pele opened for David Bowie鈥檚 1990 concerts in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain.
Adela Campallo will also have a world premiere of 鈥淔ui Piedra鈥 with brother/dancer Rafael Campallo and guitarist Juan Campallo.
Encinias says in previous festivals, she鈥檚 aimed to present diverse interpretations of flamenco, including groundbreaking avant-garde and upcoming artists.
She says this year there will be visionary artists such as Manuel Li帽谩n, winner of the 2017 Spanish National Dance Prize; Est茅vez y Pa帽os, winners of the 2019 Spanish National Dance Prize for Creation; as well as Mercedes de C贸rdoba and Mar铆a Moreno, who push the boundaries of the art form.
鈥淩ising stars such as 脕gueda Saavedra, winner of the 2022 Festival de Jerez Revelation Prize for best new artist, and Eduardo Guerrero, winner of the 2022 Lorca Prize for Best Male Dancer, bring visceral, evocative energy to the stage,鈥 she says. 鈥淵inka Esi Graves performs in her critically acclaimed first solo work, 鈥楾he Disappearing Act.鈥 鈥
The scheduled performances will be held at one of four venues 鈥 sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Theatre at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and University of New Mexico鈥檚 Rodey and Experimental theatres, as well as late-night tablaos at Tablao Flamenco sa国际传媒官网网页入口 located inside of Hotel sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
The festival also has events for children to participate in 鈥 the 25th annual Flamenco Kids Camp and the 5th annual Festival Juvenil.
Flamenco Kids Camp is a fun, immersive day camp introducing children ages 6-12 to the full range of flamenco arts and culture.
Festival Juvenil is the youth component of Festival Flamenco Alburquerque and the premier national flamenco camp for experienced young flamenco dancers ages 10-15.
Students take exclusive Festival Juvenil classes together as part of a cohort taught by Festival Flamenco Alburquerque guest artists.
Encinias says Festival Flamenco Alburquerque has something for everyone, including the 鈥淔lamenco in Your Neighborhood Series,鈥 featuring free classes and outdoor concerts produced in partnership with Bernalillo County, the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口, the Village of Los Lunas Parks and Recreation, and the Wildflower Playhouse (Taos).
The Exposici贸n Flamenca Juvenil features a family-friendly Saturday morning of free performances by Flamenco Kids Campers, Festival Juvenil dancers, and local and national student performance groups at sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Old Town Gazebo.
鈥淭his is an event for our New Mexico community to get world-class flamenco in their state,鈥 Encinias says. 鈥淲e work hard to make it accessible. We鈥檙e giving $75,000 worth of scholarships as well as free tickets to youth programs. It鈥檚 a community event that we continue to grow because flamenco is a part of the fabric of life in New Mexico.鈥
