26th Annual Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque

June 18, 2013

2013 marked the 26th Annual Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque, held from June 10 to 15. Among others at UNM, the LAII was proud to support the festival.

According to the festival's website, "Each June, the National Institute of Flamenco hosts Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, bringing the finest flamenco artists in the world to Albuquerque. For seven days, the city is filled with the pulse of flamenco, and is transformed into a cultural epicenter for the art form. This tradition celebrates flamenco, the ancient form of artistic expression of the Spanish-Gypsy culture. The lure of flamenco is its ability to explore the full range of human emotion with an intense, vibrant quality that leaves audiences and students alike, captivated."

"The purpose of this project is to preserve and promote flamenco's artistry, history, and culture among both national and international communities. While the presentation aspect is primarily cultivated for those seeking an aesthetic experience, the educational piece aims to promote unique and culturally relevant learning experiences for artistic practitioners, theorists, and newcomers."

"The educational aspect of the festival includes a series of over 25 workshops and lectures that address multiple aspects of flamenco, such as the history and development of the art form, dance and rhythmic sound patterns. These classes are available and designed for students of all ages and backgrounds, creating a multi-generational, diverse atmosphere that promotes excellence, knowledge, and personal growth."

"By producing Festival Flamenco Internacional for over 25 years, New Mexico is regarded as the center for flamenco in the United States, attracting over 5,500 students and patrons to this one-of-a-kind event, unparalleled in the quality of its scope and programming. Festival Flamenco Internacional is the highest quality, most affordable option for flamenco aficionados and students to participate in an exciting, visceral festival experience. As a number of festivals celebrating the arts occur annually, it is the precision, vigilance and cultural relevance in the vision of Festival Flamenco that causes it to stand out against others."

For more information, visit the website of the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque.