THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FLAMENCO

FLAMENCO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Program Overview

NIF’s Flamenco In Your Neighborhood (FIYN) program works to create equitable access to high-quality, culturally relevant arts education by offering free Flamenco programming through multiple initiatives conducted throughout New Mexico. Uplifting New Mexican youth through Flamenco, our teachers serve as positive role models in communities all over the state and reach students who might not otherwise have access to arts programming.

FIYN also creates pathways for further dance education by offering scholarships and enrollment in the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts. Students build confidence, discipline, and a sense of cultural pride as they engage deeply with Flamenco in a supportive, community-based setting

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OUR WHY

We believe New Mexican youth deserve consistent, equitable access to excellent, culturally relevant arts. Flamenco is a powerful vehicle for youth to express themselves. The Institute affirms that positive outcomes in every single individual ripples into their family, each family into communities.

WHO WE SERVE

The Institute reaches urban, rural, and remote areas. We uplift New Mexican youth and families, providing affirming and excellent arts experiences for local neighborhoods

WHAT WE TEACH

We teach flamenco dance and music, and through doing so, teach autonomy, self-respect, and empowerment. Children and youth learn to connect to culture and history, providing opportunities for community healing through the arts.

COMMUNITY CENTERS

Below is a list of community centers we are actively working with. If your community center is not listed, contact the center itself or reach out to us to start a partnership and bring flamenco to your neighborhood!

Taos Mountain Dance Academy (formerly ArtSoul Studios)

Holiday Park Community Center

Westside Community Center

Raymond G. Community Center

Mesa Verde Community Center

Singing Arrow Community Center

Thomas Bell Community Center

Vista Grande Community Center

Youth Registration Form

COMMUNITY LEGACY

Eva Encinias founded the Institute in 1982 but began her efforts in teaching and performing for the community long before then. A flamenco dancer and teacher, Eva instilled in her family not just the art form, but the importance of using flamenco as a tool to improve oneself and one’s community. Eva carried on the community-focused work of her mother, Clarita García de Aranda, whose dance studio in the neighborhood that was once known as Los Candelarias in Albuquerque’s North Valley, enriched generations. Clarita’s School of Dance provided scholarships to anyone interested, and Clarita’s generosity rippled through generations of her family. Eva herself expanded efforts at impacting more people on a larger scale, spearheading the founding and growth of the National Institute of Flamenco.

For the Institute, community arts engagement is not only an important way to improve the lives of young people and their families, but it is also a legacy to carry on. Marisol Encinias, the Institute’s current Executive Director, has built upon her mother and grandmother’s work to drive initiatives that grow this legacy and transform individuals through flamenco. She leads a team who are committed to increasing accessibility in the arts, creating equitable jobs for teachers, and learning more about best practices for Community Arts Engagement from other communities. For Marisol and her team, the arts and the community are intrinsically linked; each feeds and strengthens the other.