International flamenco festival set to mark 30 years

Flamenco dancer Emi Grimm performs during a show at Tablao Flamenco in Albuquerque, New Mexico. [Photo/Agencies]

Dancers from across the United States and Spain will gather in New Mexico for the 30th anniversary of an international flamenco festival.

The event organized by the world-renowned National Institute of Flamenco will be held from June 10 through June 17 in Albuquerque.

Flamenco is a form of Spanish dance and folk music that developed from Romani music and dance more than two centuries ago.

Festival Flamenco Internacional De Alburquerque will feature internationally known flamenco dancers, along with workshops, history lectures and events for children.

Here are some things to know:

The performers

Nearly 60 dancers, singers and musicians are scheduled to perform in theaters at the University of New Mexico and the National Hispanic Cultural Center. They include award-winning dancers Marco Flores and Rosario Toledo, of Spain.

On some nights, the artists will finish the evening at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, a new venue at a hotel in the city's Old Town where dancers and musician give spontaneous performances.

Workshops at the annual festival include beginner to advanced classes in repertory, costuming, castanets and guitar.

The images

This year's gathering also will showcase the work of the late photographer Douglas Kent Hall. He worked with the National Institute of Flamenco to document the event by capturing a number of images of dancers from some of the first festivals.

On June 17, National Institute of Flamenco executive director Eva Encinias-Sandoval will give a free flamenco lecture at the National Hispanic Cultural Center encompassing the event's history. Twenty photographs by Kent Hall will be on display during the speech.

The fire

The National Institute of Flamenco is located in Albuquerque, which was founded by Spanish settlers and is considered the flamenco capital of the US.

The institute's mission is to preserve and promote flamenco's history and culture through performance and education.

In December 2013, a fire destroyed its offices, including decades of festival photos, documents and clothing.

The institute then took part in many fundraisers and garnered support from Albuquerque businesses to eventually land a new home near the University of New Mexico on historic Route 66.

The organization continues to operate a conservatory and now runs Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque.

ASSOCIATED PRESS