FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL.

There's nothing remotely like the Festival Flamenco Internacional, where top artists perform and pass on their lore. The fifteenth annual festival will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from June 4 through 15. It will include performances by distinguished artists from Spain, Argentina, and the United States, and an extraordinarily broad range of classes and workshops taught by those same artists. The festival is co-sponsored by the National Institute of Flamenco and the University of New Mexico, and its events--held on the UNM campus--are a feast of one-of-a-kind opportunities.

Where else, for example, can one study not merely flamenco dance technique and repertoire, but also Spanish classical dance, three levels of flamenco guitar technique, flamenco cante (singing), castanet technique, and the use of the cajon (a popular percussion instrument)? There are also several other classes that are all but impossible to find outside of this festival, such as one concentrating exclusively on brazeo (flamenco arm-work), another on a new system of flamenco notation (taught by its inventor, Adair Landborn), and a remarkable class called "Flamenco Communication," also devised by the person who teaches it, Marija Temo. A noted professional flamenco guitarist, dancer, and singer, Temo helps students of all three techniques analyze the various flamenco forms so that they can learn to work with each other more effectively.

This extraordinary program reflects the vision, ambition, and devotion of Eva Encinias Sandoval, founder and director of the National Institute of Flamenco and a tenured, full-time faculty member at UNM. In all the areas of her work--with the university's dance program (which includes a concentration in flamenco), the student performing company, the National Conservatory of Flamenco Arts (where she and her staff give private classes), and this festival--Encinias Sandoval is committed to making the elements of flamenco available on the highest possible level, to all interested individuals, from beginners to professionals.

Besides highlighting the superb technique and individual artistry of the participants, the performances at Festival 2001 are designed to represent all sides of a major issue in flamenco today: the division between those who stress innovations in technique, instrumentation, and style, and those who emphasize strict adherence to tradition.

The first weekend's performance will showcase the work of three outstanding men: Madrid's Alejandro Granados, with Rafael Campallo and Andres Marin, both from Seville, representing the past, present, and future of flamenco dancing. The second weekend's show will highlight dancer Eva "la Yerbabuena" generally acknowledged as one of Spain's most important young innovators, plus several other distinguished performers, including Omayra Amaya, Joaquin Encinias, and Maria Laura Manzella.

Festival students can choose among classes taught by nine different dancers; there will also be three well-known guitar instructors (Pedro Cortes, Pedro Cuadra, and John Truitt), and two teachers of the cajon.

Moreover, "flamenco appreciation" events will be scattered throughout the two weeks; special children's workshops (in flamenco dance, guitar, and singing) will be offered; and on June 14 Alejandro Granados will conduct auditions for a new professional repertory company he plans to base in Albuquerque.

For further information concerning classes, housing, or any other aspect of the festival, call 505/242-7600 or go to www.feelflamenco.com.

Nancy G. Heller is a reviewer for the London-based Flamenco International Magazine and has studied, performed, and written about Spanish dance since 1984.