Help celebrate the largest and oldest Flamenco event outside of Spain at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) beginning June 20 during Festival Flamenco 38. Presented and produced by our very own National Institute of Flamenco, the festival has been an emblem of the city’s illustrious art scene for decades, gathering students, fans and flamenco professionals together for a very sophisticated annual soiree since 1987. This year the official flamenco company from Spain will inspire audiences in Albuquerque for the first time in history, and they haven’t visited the U.S. in over 12 years. Each event at the NHCC’s Albuquerque Journal Theater (1701 Fourth St. SW) transports audiences through time and across oceans, merging the traditional art form with modern production aesthetics and proves Albuquerque truly deserves its prominent place on the Flamenco world map.
Marisol Encinias, executive director of the National Institute of Flamenco and curator of Festival Flamenco Alburquerque says because it is influenced by so many cultures — Gitano, Arabic, African, even Indigenous — flamenco is an art form practiced by people all around the world. She was sophomore in high school when her mother started the festival in 1987, and in those days it consisted of one weekend of workshops and two performances. Today. it is one of the most important flamenco events there is.
“As a flamenco artist, I think it comes from a different place when you’re someone who comes from that practice — programming the festival — versus a producer or promoter who has a different eye or intention,” Encinias says. “My priorities in presenting the festival come very much from that place: showcasing what I believe are very different interpretations of flamenco from each artist we’re presenting, while also ensuring that these interpretations are of high quality, beautiful and important to experience.”
The festival kicks off at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 20 with a pair of performances blending traditional dance and contemporary art from Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, a world-renowned flamenco company all the way from Sevilla, Spain. Friday’s premiere features performances by the company’s Artistic Director Patricia Guerrero and an explosive team of dancers inspired by Federico García de Lorca’s timeless 1923 play Mariana Pineda. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía is an ambassador in the Flamenco art form, bringing internationally-acclaimed performances to stages across the globe and racking up accolades such as Guerrero’s 2021 National Dance Award, one of Spain’s highest dance honors.
On Saturday, June 21, Tierra Bendita presents iconic songs and dances from the southern Spanish region, providing a modern interpretation of an 18th century discipline and allowing a new generation of innovators to drop jaws with some of the best moves in the game today. The next day the festival explores themes of insomnia, consciousness and memory with a presentation of Rafaela Carrasco y compañía: Nocturna on Sunday, June 22. On Thursday, June 26 Los Bailes Robados by David Coria y compañía will turn the city’s Rio Grande Valley into a chaotic forest full of “broken bodies and starry skies” while questioning social norms and providing political commentary in the form of avant guard, spontaneous Spanish dance.
“When an art form functions as a type of social cohesion, to bring people together, and represents something deeply meaningful about who they are as a community or culture, it also serves as a vehicle for livelihood. It’s a form of communication and a way of living,” Encinias says.
Do not miss the two-day grand finale titled “Fiesta Flamenca!” on June 27 and 28 with an ensemble event full of dozens of performers. The list of talent is pretty big, and each night features a different cast, so you might want to get the low down at nhccnm.org/events.
Tickets start at $59 for Sunday and Thursday performances and $69 for Friday and Saturday shows. For a tickets and a complete list of events visit the Festival Flamenco 38 website at ffabq.org.
Festival Flamenco 38
June 20-28
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 Fourth St. SW
$59-$129