Flamenco was created by Spanish gypsies called Gitanos in the late 1800s. In the 1950's, Clarita Garcia de Aranda started giving dance lessons from her small Albuquerque studio on the corner of Edith and Candelaria. From these humble beginnings, flamenco dancing has become a big part of local culture, with the city hosting one of the largest flamenco festivals in the world. By the 70's, Aranda's daughter Eva Encinias Sandoval was teaching flamenco the art at the University of New Mexico. In 1982, Eva founded the National Institute of Flamenco here.
Clarita Garcia de Aranda
Thanks to the work and dedication of these two, UNM now offers several fine arts degrees where students can specialize in this style of dance. During yesterday's festivities celebrating the Albuquerque's 313th birthday, partygoers were treated to a variety of flamenco performances in Old Town Square. Here are some students from the National Institute of Flamenco doing their thing, complete with appropriate dress and castanets. I apologize for the shaky video, I was holding my 2 year old in one arm and filming with the other!
