Cabaret Flamenco

Cabaret Flamenco, a summer series presented by the National Institute of Flamenco, invites audiences to experience flamenco in one of its most traditional and intimate settings: the tablao. Rooted in the historic café cantante tradition of Spain, a tablao is designed to bring audiences close to the artists, where the rhythm of the footwork, the emotion of the singing, and the dialogue between musicians and dancers can be felt up close. These spaces are known for their spontaneity, energy, and deep connection between performers and audience. At Unit B in Santa Fe, local flamenco artists and members of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company come together for an evening of live dance, guitar, and cante in an immersive, close-up setting that captures the raw power and immediacy of flamenco tradition. No two performances are ever exactly the same. Line-up (varies each performance) Vicente Griego - Cantaor Vicente Grigeo, who hails from Dixon/Embudo, NM, has devoted his life to the study of Cante Flamenco, the art of flamenco singing. In 1992, Vicente began touring the US, Canada, and Latin America with the Jose Greco II Flamenco Dance Company, where he was mentored by Caño Roto singer Alfonso Gabarri “El Veneno” of Madrid, Spain. Vicente sings and teaches for the National Institute of Flamenco and sings year-round with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company. Vicente remains a pupil of renowned flamenco artist Chuscales from Granada, Spain. “Vicente Griego 'El Cartucho' is striking for his deep, sonorous wails that seem to come from a cavern, someplace deep within his soul.” -- Anna Poplawska, Chicago Artist’s News Mario Febres - Guitarrista Mario Febres was introduced to the art of flamenco guitar in 2000. In 2001, he moved to New Mexico to study music at the College of Santa Fe earning a Bachelor of the Arts degree. During his junior year of college, Mario traveled to Spain for a year of intense study.  In the fall of 2006, he became a part of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company.  Mario began teaching at TANM in 2010 and today, is the head of the Music Department.  He continues to work with the Yjastros Company where he can be an example to his students as a professional musician in the community as well as a full time educator. Estevan Pacheco - Guitarrista Estevan Pacheco, a native of New Mexico, began playing guitar at age 13. Estevan studied Flamenco guitar with Ricardo Anglada, Mario Febres, John Truitt, and Calvin Hazen through Tierra Adentro de Nuevo México and the National Institute of Flamenco. He regularly performs with the National Institute of Flamenco at the Flamenco Tablao in Hotel Albuquerque and at El Farol in Santa Fe. In 2023 he graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BA in performance guitar. Carlos Menchaca - Bailaor Carlos Menchaca is a Chicano dancer and choreographer who blends the traditional and avant-garde, he strives to defy gender norms and convention in flamenco while venerating its history. Carlos has had the honor of studying and performing with an array of some of the most renowned flamenco artists.  Aside from his work as a solo performer, Carlos has toured internationally with such companies as Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, and Flamenco Arts International. He has performed in Sölden, Austria; Managua, Nicaragua, The United Arab Emirates, The Chan Centre for Performing Arts (Vancouver, Canada), The Z Space (San Francisco, CA), and both The Joyce Theater and Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater in New York City. In 2023, Carlos broke barriers performing as principal dancer with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company’s Xicano Power at the Festival de Jerez (Spain), the first U.S.-based company to be featured at the esteemed festival. Most recently, Carlos was selected by the city of Albuquerque’s Urban Enhancement Trust Fund to choreograph a series of works focusing on the collaboration between local, intergenerational artists. Carlos has also been a passionate faculty member of the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts since 2007 and is regularly invited to teach and choreograph for other schools and ensembles around the United States. Kayla Lyall - Bailaora Kayla Lyall began dancing as a child with Eva Encinias in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She became infatuated with the artform, studying in Sevilla in 2008, and winning the Concurso Nacional del Flamenco in 2005 and 2011. With her masters in education, Kayla worked at Tierra Adentro of New Mexico from 2011-2022, where she established a flamenco focus program, choreographing and training high-school students in flamenco dance. She began teaching at the National Institute of Flamenco in 2005, and continues to teach all levels and ages, co-directing and choreographing for the institute's pre-professional training company. Kayla continues to work throughout the United States as a solo performer and teacher. Currently, Kayla is a principal dancer of "Yjastros" in Albuquerque, New Mexico, performs regularly at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, and is pursuing her masters in dance at the University of New Mexico. Andrea Lozano - Bailaora Andrea M. Lozano, 29, is a flamenco dancer and senior company member with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company. She began dancing at the age of three and studied under Cristina Greco until 18, when she moved to Albuquerque to pursue her career in flamenco. Andrea earned her BA in Dance with a concentration in Flamenco at the University of New Mexico, where she trained under the Encinias family as well as an array of visiting guest artists from Spain. As a performer, Andrea works regularly at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque and El Farol in Santa Fe, in addition to her work with Yjastros and a collaborative ensemble Spanish Broom. Career highlights include performing with Yjastros at the Festival de Jerez in 2021—the first U.S. company ever invited to study at the prestigious festival—as well as appearing in a Red Bull–sponsored production in Austria in 2017. In addition to performing, Andrea is an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Mexico and teaches at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, where she continues to share her artistry with the next generation of dancers. Isabella Nuanez - Bailaora ​I​sabella Nuanez was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where ​s​he began dancing at the National Institute of Flamenco when ​s​he was 3 years old and continued my study of flamenco dance and music at the charter school, Tierra Adentro of New Mexico. After graduating in 2020, ​N​uanez went on to study Flamenco at the University of New Mexico which is home to the only dance program with a Bachelor of Arts with a Flamenco concentration. ​S​he joined the professional performing ​dance company​, Yjastros​, at the beginning of the 25th season, in the fall of 2024. In this special community of artists and educators, ​N​uanez was given the path to rigorously and wholeheartedly pursue dance which has shaped ​h​er life and enriched me in my creative endeavors. ​S​She now ha​s the privilege to share the joy of flamenco with New Mexicans of all ages through teaching and performance​s! Isabella Alderete - Bailaora Isabella Alderete is a flamenco dancer from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She began her training at age five at the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, later performing with the National Institute of Flamenco’s student companies, Niños and Teeños. Flamenco became the foundation of her life, guiding her to earn a B.A. in Dance with a flamenco concentration at the University of New Mexico—the only flamenco degree program in the world. At UNM, she refined her technique, choreography, and pedagogy while studying with esteemed local artists and internationally acclaimed Spanish guest artists through the National Institute of Flamenco’s Guest Artist Line. Alderete is currently a corps member of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, where she made her debut in 2024. Alongside her work with the company, she performs regularly in tablaos across New Mexico, bringing the spontaneity, intimacy, and intensity of flamenco to live audiences. In June 2025, she was featured in Festival Flamenco 38’s Tablao Edición Especial, performing alongside Spanish artists and representing her training with the National Institute of Flamenco. Her artistic projects also extend beyond the tablao stage. In November 2025, she will premiere Los Que Viven—a collaboration with fellow Yjastros member, Isabella Nuanez, and playwright Erik Ehn—at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City. She will also travel to New York this fall to compete in Flamenco Vivo’s Certamen USA, participating in the professional category “Escenario”. Twenty years after first stepping into the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, Alderete now teaches there, continuing the tradition that shaped her as an artist. Noelle Encinias - Bailaora Noelle Encinias was born into a family of artists. She is a fifth-generation flamenco dancer, and has studied flamenco with her grandmother Eva, father Joaquin, and aunt Marisol, and ballet with her mother, Deanna. Noelle has studied with a number of important flamenco artists including José Galván, José Maya, Mercedes Amaya “La Winy,” Pastora Galván, Concha Jareño, Lucia Alvarez “La Piñona,” and Olga Pericet, among others.  In addition to flamenco, she has studied ballet and modern dance extensively. Dinner and cocktails starting at 5:30 pm. Showtime is 7:00 pm. Reservations highly recommended.