FLAMENCO’S VISUAL TAPESTRY
Yjastros begins its 32nd season with a full slate of new choreography
Yjastros dance company rehearses for 32nd season.
For two hours a day, five days a week, the members of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company can be found rehearsing on the University of New Mexico campus for their coming season.
If it seems like a lot of work, it is.
Each dancer gets stronger with technical training, as well as executing each number with precision.
With each season, members of Yjastros also prepare for new movements — and new choreography.
At the forefront of this push is artistic director Joaquin Encinias.
It’s his job to push the dancers into new direction in the centuries-old art form.
“It’s extremely difficult to put together a season,” Encinias says. “We also try to keep up old repertory. For this season, half the pieces are new and half are pulled from our archive.”
The coming season is the company’s 32nd.
It will feature new dances and music by Spanish flamenco master artists Jesús Carmona, Pedro Córdoba, Daniel Doña and Adrián Santana — all of whom intertwine the roots of flamenco dance with modern interpretations to create a visually exquisite tapestry
of stunning and powerful choreography.
Encinias says Yjastros brings the creative visions of world-renowned flamenco artists to the American p while cultivating the living art of flamenco in the United States.
The members of Yjastros come together after a year of profound individual growth
Within the past year, company members have honed their artistic expression both through the spontaneous improvisational world of the tablao and through their own artistic projects.
“We didn’t have a season last year,” Encinias says. “We've been working on keeping the repertory at its highest level"
Yjastros is known for bringing in some of the top flamenco dancers and choreography to Albuquerque,
Encinias says that because the National Institute of Flamenco and UNM have a partnership, they are able to look for the best and newest talent.
“We get access to the very best people in Spain,” he says. “My sister, Marisol, will be going to Spain in May, and she goes to festivals to keep an eye on all of the emerging talent.”
The performance will open with a piece from Santana.
There are 10 women and four men.
Encinias says it’s a throwback piece.
“It does some interesting things on a choreographic level,” he says. “The first movement isn’t done in shoes. It’s done with long dresses. He wanted to depict where he’s from in Mágala, Spain. It’s a beautiful movement and everything is stunning.”
After years of helming Yjastros, Encinias is looking forward to another great season.
He’s impressed with the number and level of talent of flamenco dancers in New Mexico.
“You’ll see that there are a lot of young dancers coming up in the core,” he says. “They will be performing with us. They’ve become a real important part of the company and are carrying their load in the company.”