Media & Press
Meet the 2026 Creative Bravos Awards honorees shaping Albuquerque’s cultural landscape
The winners of the 2026 Creative Bravos Awards were announced last week, and the public will have the chance to honor the recipients at an award ceremony on Saturday, March 14.
New program of traditional, contemporary flamenco by Yjastros celebrates diversity through dance
Yjastros is not your typical flamenco company. As one of the few repertory flamenco dance companies in the United States, the versatile dancers of Yjastros perform in many styles, from traditional to contemporary. They have over 80 works in their repertoire, with new ones added every year.
Out of Many, One: Yjastros Brings Repertory, Memory and Movement to the Stage
This spring, Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company returns to the stage with Out of Many, One, a program that highlights the power of individuality within a collective art form. Featuring five original works by Spanish choreographers, the production leans into the company’s repertory roots while offering audiences a layered and deeply human experience through flamenco.
Once again the miracle of Alburqueque
Like the flowers that sprout and bloom each year in the inhospitable New Mexico dessert, the organization of the Alburquerque Flamenco Festival has once again put together an admirable program with top flamenco stars, parallel activities, courses and overwhelmingly contagious enthusiasm.
¡Olé! Known as the Flamenco Capital of North America, Albuquerque is letting its Spanish roots shine
The lights are dimmed and a hush falls over the plush auditorium in Albuquerque. When the stage lights come up, a statuesque dancer stands motionless. Behind her, a guitarist slowly begins to strum the soulful first notes of an impassioned song. As the guitarist picks up his pace, a singer opens his mouth wide and lets out a mournful sound, almost as if he’s crying.
Fotografías 'Xicano Power' de Compañía Yjastros en el Festival de Jerez
A photo gallery capturing Yjastros’ “Xicano Power” at Festival de Jerez—highlighting the work’s intensity, staging, and cast.
A cultural round-trip with social allusions at the Festival de Jerez
The flamenco project of the Encinias family is in for the long haul. Very long. Since the 1950s when grandmother Clarita García Allison, singer and dancer, ran her flamenco school in Alburquerque, followed by her daughter Eva Encinias, grandchildren Marisol and Joaquín as well as their children, between one thing and another, this is a flamenco dynasty as committed to flamenco as the singer families of Jerez and other towns.
Festival Flamenco creates $12M in economic impact
Earlier this summer, 10,868 people attended the 36th Annual Festival Flamenco Alburquerque (event spelling), a nine-day event celebrating Spanish culture and heritage. The festival is the oldest and largest flamenco festival outside of Spain, featuring 23 performances from 114 performers.
10 Reasons to Visit Albuquerque that You Maybe Didn’t Know About
Albuquerque is perhaps most well-known for the International Balloon Fiesta, the largest hot air balloon festival in the world that is held there every October...
The Stepchildren of Spain
Flamenco is undeniably a part of New Mexican culture, and there is a large community of flamenco performers, teachers and students who call Albuquerque home. If you ask a member of that community just how good the dancers, singers and musicians are, they will likely tell you that the level of talent, the quality of the schools and the opportunities for growth and advancement in the field are second only to Spain — where the origins of flamenco can be traced back to the city of Andalusia nearly 300 years ago. Tierra Adentro of New Mexico (TANM) charter school offers flamenco programs to students as early as sixth grade. In fact, studying dance, music, and visual arts is a requirement at TANM. The University of New Mexico is one of the few colleges in the world that offers a degree in flamenco dance.
‘¡Olé!’ New Mexico Department of Health brings nutrition and flamenco to Blanco Elementary School
The Blanco Elementary School gymnasium was filled with lively dancing and vocals Friday afternoon as fourth graders performed a flamenco dance for parents and classmates to conclude a two-week clinic.
Meet the 2026 Creative Bravos Awards honorees shaping Albuquerque’s cultural landscape
The winners of the 2026 Creative Bravos Awards were announced last week, and the public will have the chance to honor the recipients at an award ceremony on Saturday, March 14, at the Albuquerque Museum...
The best cultural festivals in Albuquerque you need to attend
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a vibrant city with a rich cultural tapestry woven from its Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo heritage. Known for its stunning landscapes, outdoor adventures, and lively cultural events, Albuquerque also has a growing urban scene
Yjastros: Flamenco Repertory Company presents ‘cultural hybrid’ show of dance, music, storytelling
Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, the only flamenco repertory ensemble in the U.S., returns to the stage with Flamenco Fandanguero: Primos de la Raza Cósmica, at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 and 2 p.m. Nov. 9 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center and at 7 p.m. Nov.14 at the Taos Center for the Arts.
Learn more about 'Plata: 25 Years of Yjastros'
In 1999, the Encinias family — known for its footprint in flamenco — began a journey with a simple word — yjastros. Translating to “stepchild,” the company name was chosen because it reflected a sense of being related yet distinct.
Truth through flamenco: Yjastros to present new version of 'Xicano Power' at the National Hispanic Cultural Center
The journey has always been full speed ahead for Joaquín Encinias. As the artistic director for Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, Encinias helps find ways to move the company forward. The company’s fall performance is called “Xicano Power.” Yjastros will perform it on Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Primo opportunity: Yjastros combines flamenco and son jarocho in new performance piece
Each night for the past few months, Joaquín Encinias spends hours in rehearsal. The artistic director of the National Flamenco Institute grew up in a rehearsal studio as he studied alongside his sister and mother.
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