Course Description

This course explores the legacy of Spain’s most famous style of dance in New Mexico. From a historic and creative ethnographic lens students will discover the journey of flamenco transforming from a transplant to a cultural mainstay in New Mexico. Students will explore the evolution, legends, and histories of key figures in New Mexico that forged the path for New Mexico to today be the most important artistic and economic hot spot of flamenco in the United States: hosting the largest flamenco festival outside of Spain, UNM offering the only degree in flamenco dance, and much much more….. ¡olé!

Texts

Chávez, N. (2015) The Spirit of Flamenco: From Spain to New Mexico. Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press.

Chapters:

Bennahum, N. (2003). Deep Song Dances of Gypsy Blacksmiths. In The Living Dance: An Anthology of Essays on Movement and Culture, Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.

Lujan, B. R. (2023). Dance in Spain. In Cultures of Dance around the World. Human Kinetics, pp. 151-163.  Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Montaño, M. (2001). Tradiciones Nuevomexicanas: Hispano Arts and Culture of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.

Select readings:

A Different Kind of Ethnography: Imaginative Practices and Creative Methodologies (2016)

Documentary

Requirements

Two response papers

Final paper

Presentation

Participation in ethnographic movement activities

Discussion facilitator

Attendance at one out-of-class performance

Participation in class discussions

About the Instructor(s): Bridgit Luján

Bridgit Luján is a dance journalist, researcher, and flamenco dance instructor. She has an MFA from Wilson College and a MA in Dance History from the University of New Mexico. As a Fulbright Scholar Luján spent the 2022-2023 academic year in Spain where she conducted creative and academic research in flamenco dance. She is a journalist for Dance Magazine in NYC, teaches flamenco technique at CNM, and also teaches HNRS 2113 - Fine Arts as Global Perspective in the Honors College.