Apr. 21—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.
With the National Institute of Flamenco, he's used to rehearsal times as the company remains busy throughout the year.
This time it's different.
The National Institute of Flamenco's repertory company — Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company — is creating a new piece where flamenco and son jarocho meet.
"Everything is going really well," Encinias says. "There's still a week before we head into the theater and this one is going to be amazing."
NIF will present "Flamenco Fandanguero: Primos de La Raza Cósmica" at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
There will be two shows. The first is at 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, and the second is 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27.
The performance features dancers and musicians from Mexico, Spain and the United States.
Encinias says it's inspired by the rich history and heritage of Latin America and its influence on flamenco.
The work reimagines flamenco through the lens of mestizaje (mixed race), blending it with son jarocho to explore complex cultural identities.
Son jarocho is a distant relative of the first songs interpreted by the locals and based on what they heard fresh off those Spanish vessels.
Encinias says the music also holds a special place in people's hearts, as well as its typical dance has become a showstopper and most dancers' preferred region.
Meanwhile, flamenco is an art form incorporating poetry, singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), dance (baile), polyrhythmic hand-clapping (palmas), and finger snapping (pitos). It often features the call and response known as jaleo.
"The parallels and the similarities between the two are what is most satisfying," Encinias says. "Getting to work on choreography in both styles has been something we've really enjoyed. We're diving into the history of it through dance."
Encinias and his sister, Marisol, who is also the NIF executive director, are collaborating on the choreography.
The seed was planted when Marisol Encinias wrote a grant to bring the concept to life.
"It's to examine the parallels of the two music forms," Encinias says. "The crux of the show has always been the music and finding those similarities. It's one of the most satisfying lessons that we've learned."
"Flamenco Fandanguero" is inspired by writer Gloria Anzaldúa.
The work that NIF is putting in helps enliven the rich artistry that comes from 21st century mestizaje, and the hybrid cultures and arts that carry West African and Indigenous influences that shape and form Latino, Chicano and Indo-Hispano cultures across the Americas.
Encinias says the unique performance grew from artistic collaborations among flamenco, son jarocho, African dance and theater artists.
The Encinias siblings worked alongside Sinuhé Padilla Isunza and Alejandro Tomás Rodríguez on the show.
It will feature over 30 performers, including Yjastros, and invited international son jarocho and flamenco guest artists Patricio Hidalgo, Yaratzé Hidalgo Sandoval, Padilla Isunza, Laura Rebolloso, Freddy Vega, Isa Jurado and Ángel Ruíz.
Encinias says Padilla Isunza of Jarana Beat has performed all over the world with artists such as Lila Downs, Residente, Ana Tijoux and Flor de Toloache.
Hidalgo is the founder of El Afrojarocho and is a legend of son jarocho who has dedicated his artistic career to performing and recovering the African influences in jarocho music and dance. Jurado, a singer from Córdoba, Spain, brings her lifelong relationship to flamenco to the stage through her powerful voice.
Ruíz, a flamenco guitarist from Córdoba, composes and performs internationally.
Vicente Griego, a native New Mexican and flamenco singer from Dixon, brings his unique culture and life experience to the performance, his distinctive voice and interpretative skills help to place New Mexico in this work, Encinias says.
"Academically speaking, there is a lot of research being done on the influence of the Americas on flamenco and in its cultivation," Encinias says. "Veracruz was an important port city and this is where it became a melting pot of cultures. It's been fascinating to peel back the centuries of layers on the two art forms."
There will also be a free, public preshow talks at the National Hispanic Cultural Center with Marisol Encinias and Joaquín Encinias. Talks will be held at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, April 26, and 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, preceding each performance.
