UNM Flamenco Perfromance Ensemble to Perform at Jacob's Pillow
The National Institute of Flamenco (NIF) is proud to announce that the University of New Mexico Flamenco Ensemble, under the direction of Marisol Encinias, NIF executive director, will perform at Jacob’s Pillow as part of the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Highlights Program.
Members of the University of New Mexico Flamenco Ensemble Dominique Adessa, Chloe Mendoza, Isabella Alderete, Isabella Nuanez, Jesalyn McCollum, and Madison Olguin will travel to Jacob’s Pillow in Western Massachusetts this August 17 to perform "Las Horas Contadas." Choreographed by visiting professor and award-winning Spanish artist Marco Flores, "Las Horas Contadas" draws inspiration from Pablo Picasso's masterpiece, "Guernica," and the haunting aftermath of the Spanish Civil War.
NIF proudly partners with UNM, whose Department of Theatre and Dance is home to the only accredited dance program in the United States in which flamenco is a concentration (BA, BAIA, MA, MFA). The Flamenco Concentration was created by Eva Encinias, founder of NIF and Conservatory of Flamenco Arts (CFA), where Mendoza, Alderete, Nuanez, McCollum, and Olguin all studied flamenco before attending UNM. Madison Olguin and Isabella Nuanez also attended Tierra Adentro of New Mexico Charter School, with which CFA shares a campus.
Founded in 1933, the Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival has established itself as a cornerstone of dance excellence in the United States and has a rich history of showcasing exceptional dance performances from premier companies such as Twyla Tharp, Ailey, and the Martha Graham Dance Company.
The selection of "Las Horas Contadas" for the Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival is a tremendous honor, as it positions the University of New Mexico Department of Theatre and Dance as a top-tier dance program in the nation. Only 30 works were chosen out of a pool of over 300 submissions for the National College Dance Conference, and with the invitation to Jacob’s Pillow, cements UNM's place in the top 2% of collegiate dance programs.
After viewing the work, one ACDA adjudicator said; “We were drawn into this narrative piece, a story of oppression and resistance in wartime, brought to life by the seamless fusion of flamenco and contemporary dance. While striking, the blend of forms becomes secondary as the work unfolds and the audience is immersed and transported into the emotional journey of the characters on stage.”
The creation and performance of this unique work is made possible by the partnership between the National Institute of Flamenco and the University of New Mexico. The National Institute of Flamenco facilitates and administers the UNM Dance Program's Visiting Guest Line in Flamenco, creating incredible artistic and cultural experiences for UNM students and those in the community alike. The decades-long partnership expands accessibility to the university and ensures a thriving culture of artistic excellence.
LAS HORAS CONTADAS
(The Final Hours)
“This composition of dance and sound aims to advance the horror and the mark left by war conflicts in general, taking as inspiration and reference GUERNICA by Pablo Picasso and the musical composition by Enrique Morente, GUERN-IRAK. If Guernica portrays the horror and turbulent conflict of the Spanish civil war, very specifically the bombing of Guernica, Guern-irak is inspired by the work of Picasso and aligns the aforementioned conflict with another more recent one, Iraq.
Las Horas Contadas plunges into the terrible and monstrous poetics of the horror of conflicts and wars. In this work I attempt to investigate the indelible mark that these events leave on humanity, a mark for which not all of us are responsible, but all are victims.” --Marco Flores
Original idea, concept, repertory, and choreography: Marco Flores
Artistic and Rehearsal Direction: Marisol Encinias
Dancers: Dominque Adessa, Elizabeth Alarid-West (understudy), Isabella Fernanda Alderete, Jesalyn Kae McCollum, Chloe N Mendoza, Isabella Michelle Nuanez, Madison Therese Olguin
Music: Guern-Irak by Enrique Morente
Soundscape: Carlos Cuenca
Lighting: Professor William Liotta
Costumes: Stacia Smith-Alexander, UNM Costume Shop
*This choreography is an extract from the full-length work EL RAYO QUE NO CESA by Javier La Torre
