Connect; 106; Eva Encinias-Sandoval, Andrew J. Schuler

>> FOR ME THERE WAS A FIRE INSIDE; A LIGHT THAT JUST SHOWN FLAMENCO. >> CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE, WE VISIT WITH THE FOUNDER OF THE RENOWNED FESTIVAL FLAMENCO INTERNACIONAL DE ALBUQUERQUE AND MASTER TEACHER EVA ENCINIAS SANDOVAL, A ONE PERSON TOUR DE FORCE. >> FLAMENCO WAS THE LANGUAGE WITH WHICH MY MOTHER INSTILLED IN ME THE ELEMENTS OF DISCIPLINE AND ENERGY AND FOCUS. >> EVA SHARES WITH US HER LOVE FOR FLAMENCO AND HER HEART FOR TEACHING. >> THE COOL THING ABOUT WASTEWATER, THERE IS ACTUALLY ENERGY IN IT THAT WE CAN HARVEST. >> IN OUR VIEWER QUESTION, HOW CAN BACTERIA HARVEST ENERGY FROM WASTEWATER? EACH MONTH WE CONNECT WITH THINKING FOUND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. CONNECT IS NEXT.

>> JOINING ME IS EVA ENCINIAS SANDOVAL. WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE >> I DON'T REMEMBER A TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN FLAMENCO HASN'T BEEN PRESENT. I WAS RAISED WITH A MOTHER THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DANCER AND SINGER AND IT BROUGHT SUCH ENERGY AND SUCH DYNAMIC TO MY LIFE. OF COURSE, AS A CHILD, I WASN'T AWARE OF WHAT THAT WAS BUT I JUST KNEW THAT MY LIFE WAS FULL OF MAGIC. I MEAN, JUST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, BEAUTIFUL DANCE, INTERESTING PEOPLE WHO WERE COMPLETELY EMERSED AND COMMITTED TO THEIR DEVELOP OF ARTISTRY. SO, NOW, AS I CAN HAVE SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, I KNOW THAT FLAMENCO WAS THE LANGUAGE WITH WHICH MY MOTHER INSTILLED IN ME ELEMENTS OF DISCIPLINE AND ENERGY AND FOCUS AND SO I CAN'T IMAGINE MY LIFE WITHOUT

IT. AND WHEN PEOPLE WILL SAY, WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ART FORM, IT IS SO MUCH A PART OF ME. IT IS IN MY BLOOD, IT IS IN MY HEART BEAT. IT IS IN MY DAY-TO-DAY LIFE WITH MY STUDENTS, WITH MY FAMILY, WITH MY FRIENDS. EVERYONE IS EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO, IT IS MY LIFE BLOOD. IT IS WHAT I DO. >> IT IS NICE TO LIVE YOUR PASSION. SOUND LIKE THERE WAS NEVER A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHERE FLAMENCO WASN'T PRESENT. >> ABSOLUTELY AND WE WERE ALL RAISED AS DANCERS. MY BROTHER AND SISTER AND I, AUNT'S AND UNCLES DANCED. WE WERE ALL PART OF FLAMENCO. FLAMENCO WAS PART OF US. MY MOTHER WOULD ALWAYS MAKE COMMENTS TO ME THAT I WAS -- SHE KNEW FROM DAY ONE, AS I KNEW FROM DAY ONE THAT I WANTED TO BE A DANCER. MY BROTHER AND SISTER DID IT

BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR FAMILY RITUAL, BUT FOR ME THERE WAS A FIRE INSIDE, A LIGHT THAT JUST SHOWN FLAMENCO. AND, SHE WOULD TELL ME STORIES OF WHEN I WAS A VERY YOUNG CHILD, HOW I WOULD GO OUT AND FANTASIZE IN THE GARDEN. WE HAD AN ENCLOSED PATIO AN OLD TERRITORIAL STYLE HOUSE, WHERE HER STUDIO WAS, AND AFTER CLASS AND BEFORE CLASS, I WOULD BE OUT IN THE GARDEN TEACHING THE TREES AND BUSHES HOW TO DANCE. NOT ONLY WAS FLAMENCO A GREAT PASSION WITH ME BUT ALSO TEACHING. I LOVED THE IDEA OF TEACHING. SO, MY MOTHER -- >> EVEN AT A YOUNG AGE? >> EVEN AT A VERY YOUNG AGE WHICH I THINK IS MAYBE A LITTLE ODD THAT, YES, I WAS ENAMORED WITH THE ART FORM OF FLAMENCO AND WANTED TO BE DOING IT CONSTANTLY, BUT I ALSO DISPLAYED A REAL INTEREST IN TEACHING. EARLY AND SO SHE WOULD LET ME

ASSIST HER IN THE CLASSES AND I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO START TEACHING IN HER STUDIO WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG BECAUSE I STARTED DANCING, OF COURSE, WHEN I WAS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OLD. BY THE TIME I WAS 14 OR 15, I WAS TEACHING CLASSES IN HER STUDIO. >> WHAT INSIGHT YOUR MOTHER OF THAT FROM YOUR GRANDMOTHER. >> I HAD THE FORTUNE TO BE RAISED IN A VERY SPECIAL FAMILY. I LOVE THE FACT THAT MY CHILDREN ARE BOTH PROFESSIONAL DANCERS AND MANY OF MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE FOLLOWING IN THAT DIRECTION. AND I BELIEVE IT IS MUCH BECAUSE OF THE POWER OF FAMILY, BUT ALSO THE >> WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE TECHNICAL -- THE DANCE ITSELF?

I FIND FLAMENCO TO BE THIS BEAUTIFUL BLEND OF RIGOR, DISCIPLINE, CONSTANCY, THAT YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE STUDIO EVERYDAY WORKING AND DEVELOPING THE CRAFT, DEVELOPING TECHNIQUE, DEVELOPING AWARENESS AND SKILL WITH THE BODY. BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF SPONTANEITY, IMPROVISATION, IMMEDIACY THAT IS COMPLETELY FASCINATING AS A DANCE STUDY. >> YOU ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IN A VERY DEEP WAY THE MUSICAL STRUCTURE WHICH INCLUDES THE GUITAR, THE SINGING, THE

RHYTHM OF THE PALMAS, BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT COME TOGETHER IS WHAT CREATES FLAMENCO. THE FLAMENCO DANCE IS ONLY ONE ELEMENT OF FLAMENCO. s s >> IT IS VERY INTERACTIVE. IT REQUIRES A REAL BUY-IN FROM THE VIEWER AND CERTAINLY FROM THE ARTIST, THE STUDENT, WHETHER THEY BE A GUITAR

STUDENT, A DANCER, A SINGING STUDENT, WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING IN FLAMENCO, THEY HAVE GOT TO BE ABLE TO JUST JUMP IN, 100%. AND, SO, IT REQUIRES THAT PASSION. YOU CAN'T BE -- >> PASSIVE. >> YOU DON'T SORT OF LIKE FLAMENCO. YOU EITHER REALLY LIKE IT OR YOU DON'T. A KEEN UNDERSTANDING AND AN ABILITY TO COLLABORATE AND COOPERATE WITH THE MUSICIAN. THAT BEING THE CASE, I STUDIED MANY YEARS OF FLAMENCO GUITAR BECAUSE MY MOTHER FELT THAT

THAT WAS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY EXPERIENCE AND I WAS CAPTIVATED BY THAT AS WELL. I REMEMBER THERE BEING A TIME GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE. IF I WAS GOING TO BE REALLY A GOOD FLAMENCO GUITARIST, I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY PUT ALL OF MY TIME AND ENERGY THERE. OR A DANCER, PUT ALL OF MY TIME AND ENERGY THERE AND HISTORY TELLS US WHICH DIRECTION I WENT. BUT, NEVERTHELESS, THAT IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE MUSIC AND, OF COURSE, BEING RAISED ALSO SINGING, HELPED ME SO MUCH TO DEVELOP AS A FLAMENCO DANCER. IN FLAMENCO, IT IS VERY, VERY MUCH INTEGRATED INTO YOUR STUDY AS A DANCER. >> TALK TO ME ABOUT THE SEVILLANAS AND THE RHYTHM; THE BEAT? >> ABSOLUTELY. FLAMENCO HAS AS ONE OF THE MANY VERY DEMANDING AND EXCITING ELEMENTS OF IT, RHYTHM IS AT THE BASE AND FOUNDATION OF ALL FLAMENCO

STUDY. >> HOW DO YOU TEACH SOMEBODY TO FEEL THAT? >> WELL, IT IS DIFFICULT. THERE ARE TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT -- ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I FOUND IN BEING ON THE FACULTY AT THE UNIVERSITY AND TEACHING PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO FLAMENCO OFTEN AS A COLLEGE STUDENT, THAT IS THEIR FIRST EXPOSURE TO IT. THEY HAVEN'T LISTENED TO THE MUSIC. THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE MUSICAL STRUCTURE, WITH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT RHYTHMIC VARIATIONS -- >> IT'S NOT JUST GETTING UP AND DANCING. >> EXACTLY. BEFORE THEY CAN GET ANY FACILITY AS A DANCER, THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL INFORMATION THEY NEED TO HAVE ON THE ART FORM AND THEN MUSICAL INFORMATION. AND SO I LIKE TO TEACH A LOT OF THE 100 LEVEL CLASSES, UNLIKE MANY FULL PROFESSORS AT UNM OR IN ANY UNIVERSITY,

USUALLY, THEY ARE SORT OF FOCUSED ON UPPER DIVISION STUDENTS, MAYBE EVEN SPECIFICALLY GRADUATE STUDENTS. BUT I FIND IT VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR PROGRAM TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEGINNING LEVEL PROCESS BECAUSE THERE IS THAT VERY COMPREHENSIVE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE AT THAT BEGINNING LEVEL TO PREPARE THEM TO, THEN, BE ABLE TO MOVE ON SUCCESSFULLY. >> YOU WERE EXPOSED TO THIS BEFORE YOU PROBABLY EVEN KNEW HOW TO TALK. >> ABSOLUTELY. LISTENING TO THE MUSIC JUST THE WAY IT HAS DEVELOPED IN SPAIN, OF COURSE. IT IS IN THE CULTURE. THEY ARE LISTENING TO THE MUSIC. EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE STUDYING FLAMENCO, IT IS PART OF THEIR CULTURE AND PART OF THEIR REALITY. WHEREAS, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU TEACH ANY CULTURAL ART FORM OUTSIDE OF IT, WE CALL IT LA CUNA OR THE CRADLE OF WHERE IT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, THERE ARE

ELEMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH AND THOSE ARE LISTENING TO MUSIC, KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE LISTENING TO, SEEING SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL ARTISTS THAT HAVE CREATED THE ART FORM AND ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVOLUTION OF THE ART FORM AND THEN, OF COURSE, WHY ARE WE DOING IT AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? AND WHAT CAN WARRANT THE KIND OF ENERGY, COMMITMENT AND FOCUS THAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO BECOME THE ARTISTS THAT WE HOPE THEY WILL BECOME. TO BRING IT OUTSIDE OF THAT

CRADLE, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT CULTURES CAN EXPERIENCE IT FULLY AND REALLY LEARN IT. >> I HOPE SO AND I TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY. I FEEL RESPONSIBLE, FIRST OF ALL, TO OUR COMMUNITY. I AM A NEW MEXICAN AND LOVE OUR COMMUNITY AND WANT VERY MUCH TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS PRECIOUS GIFT THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME FROM MY MOTHER AND PASS IT ON WITH INTEGRITY. BUT I ALSO FEEL VERY ANSWERABLE TO THE SPANISH FLAMENCO COMMUNITY. >> YOU HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB, MORE THAN 25 YEARS NOW YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE PART OF IT AND WATCH IT EVOLVE. >> IT IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE OF COURSE TEACHING IN A UNIVERSITY IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM TEACHING IN A PRIVATE STUDIO OR IN A CONSERVATORY. MOST DANCE FORMS, THEY SAY, AND I WOULD TEND TO AGREE, TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 8 TO 10 YEARS TO DEVELOP, TO DEVELOP AN ARTIST FROM BEGINNING TO END, WHATEVER THAT IS, BECAUSE

THE ARTISTIC PROCESS NEVER ENDS. IT IS A LIFETIME STUDY BUT I HAVE HAD TO ADOPT A TEACHING CURRICULUM TO FIT THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE. >> ARE THERE ANY STAND-OUT MOMENTS, ANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE ON TO SORT OF MAKE YOU PROUD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO INSPIRE THEM? >> ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN OUR GRADUATES FROM BOTH THE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE FLAMENCO EMPHASIS PROGRAM. SEVERAL OF THEM ARE COMING FOR OUR FESTIVAL THAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK. IT IS SORT -- IT BECOMES SORT OF A REUNION FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN. THEY HAVE GONE OFF AND MADE PROFESSIONAL CAREERS AND COME BACK FOR THE FESTIVAL TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CLASSES AND SEE PERFORMANCES. GRADUATED TWO YEARS AGO WITH A FLAMENCO EMPHASIS DEGREE AND HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CARLOTA SANTANA TRAVELING TOURING THE

UNITED STATES. LAST YEAR WITH AN MFA, IS WORKING IN NEW YORK WITH A BEAUTIFUL COMPANY NOCHE FLAMENCA. STEPHANIE RAMIREZ HAS HAD AN IMPRESSIVE CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL FLAMENCO DANCER. I COULD NAME 20 OF THEM TODAY THAT ARE OUT THERE DOING IT. >> IT HAS TO FEEL GOOD THAT YOU ARE SORT OF AN INSTRUMENT OR VEHICLE IN KEEPING THIS ART FORM ALIVE. >> I DON'T PRETEND TO THINK THAT THIS IS BY MY HAND ALONE. LOTS OF PEOPLE -- I SALUTE THE DANCE PROGRAM AND THE UNIVERSITY FOR TAKING THAT STEP OF FAITH WITH SOMETHING LIKE FLAMENCO IN A UNIVERSITY PROGRAM. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD QUESTION, IS THAT WARRANTED? IS IT A STUDY, A PATH OF STUDY THAT REQUIRES THAT TYPE OF INVESTIGATION? CERTAINLY IT IS. >> SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT. >> BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE APPROACH IT, A SOCIAL, A CULTURAL STUDY, A DISCIPLINE

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE DANCE AND THE MUSIC THAT IS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING, AND FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, WE HAVE SEEN HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO STUDY IT WITH THAT TYPE OF INTENSITY. >> I THINK UNTIL I TALKED TO YOU NOW, I DON'T THINK I REALIZED HOW MUCH MORE FLAMENCO IS THAN JUST THE DANCE PART. >> A FORM OF DANCE. IT IS EVER CHANGING AND TO JUST BE ABLE TO STAY ON TOP OF IT, ONE HAS TO CONSTANTLY BE RESEARCHING AND STUDYING AND REINVENTING ONESELF AS AN ARTIST. I DON'T PERFORM ANYMORE AS A DANCER. I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO BE IN THE STUDIO THAT ONE NEEDS TO BE TO BE ON THE STAGE. SO, I FOCUS MY ENERGIES ON TEACHING AND TRY TO STAY

CURRENT WITH NEW TECHNIQUES AND NEW APPROACHES TO INTEGRATION OF MUSIC AND DANCE BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR MY s s [SINGING] s s

>> WHEN SOMEONE, A NOVICE, AS MYSELF, IS WATCHING THE DANCE, WHAT ARE WE REALLY SEEING? >> FLAMENCO IS A CULTURAL EXPRESSION OF A PERSECUTED PEOPLE. THAT WAS ITS ORIGINAL HISTORY. IT WAS DEVELOPED IN ANDALUSIA IN SOUTHERN SPAIN BY GYPSIES WHO TRAVELED ACROSS THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIA. NOW, WAS IT DEVELOPED COMPLETELY BY GYPSIES; NO. I BELIEVE THAT CERTAINLY THE BLENDING OF THE SPANISH, THE ARABIC, THE MOORISH, THE AFRICAN, ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT CULTURES CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE WHAT WAS A NEW MUSIC FOR THESE PEOPLE THAT WOULD REPRESENT THEM COLLECTIVELY. ss [DRUMMING AND CLAPPING] ss >> ONE OF THE REASONS IT IS SO

QUICKLY EVOLVING IS IT IS ALWAYS BORROWING FROM CULTURES THAT IT IS INFLUENCED BY AND OF COURSE NOW THERE IS SO MUCH ACCESS TO WORLD MUSIC. >> IT IS A MOVEMENT. >> REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT. THESE YOUNG ARTISTS THAT ARE VERY PREVALENT AND PROMINENT IN THE FLAMENCO COMMUNITY TODAY ARE INCREDIBLY VERSED DANCERS. THEY HAVE STUDIED FLAMENCO. THEY HAVE STUDIED BALLET, THEY HAVE STUDIED MODERN DANCE. THEY ARE AWARE AND APPRECIATIVE OF ART AND MUSIC AND ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD. AND WE'RE SEEING THAT IN THE MOVEMENT, IN THE CHOREOGRAPHY THAT THEY ARE CREATING. SO, WHEN YOU SEE FLAMENCO, YOU'RE SEEING THE CULTURAL EXPRESSION OF THESE PEOPLE BUT IN A VERY INDIVIDUAL WAY. EVERY DANCER, EVERY GUITARIST, EVERY SINGER HAS A CERTAIN LICENSE TO PERSONALIZE THE ART FORM FOR THEMSELVES UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE

ELEMENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS THAT THEY MUST BE ANSWERABLE TO; TECHNIQUE, AND SCALES, MUSICAL SCALES, OR DANCE TECHNIQUE, STEPS, AND PATTERNS THAT ARE TRADITIONAL TO THE ART FORM THAT ARE GOING TO BE THEIR GUIDE FOR THEM TO THEN FIND THEIR OWN PERSONAL STATEMENT AND PERSONAL EXPRESSION OF THIS BEAUTIFUL ART FORM. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS WITH US. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> THE COOL THING ABOUT WASTEWATER IS THAT THERE IS ACTUALLY ENERGY IN IT THAT WE CAN HARVEST. >> ONE WAY TO GET THAT ENERGY

OUT IS SOMETHING CALLED ANAEROBIC DIGESTION. BACTERIA IN THE SYSTEMS WILL FERMENT THE SOLIDS AND PRODUCE METHANE. METHANE IS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF NATURAL GAS AND NATURAL GAS IS A GREAT ENERGY SOURCE. WHAT I HAVE HERE IS A LITTLE PLASTIC PIECE. AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS DESIGNED TO HAVE A LOT OF SURFACE AREA INSIDE. WASTEWATER WILL BE FLOWING THROUGH THESE LITTLE PIECES AND THAT GIVES YOU A LOT OF BACTERIA THAT IS GOING TO DO BIODEGRADATION OF YOUR WASTE FOR YOU. YOU GET BACTERIA GROWING ON HERE AND THOSE BACTERIA HAVE DIFFERENT CAPABILITIES IN TERMS OF REMOVING DIFFERENT COMPOUNDS FROM THE WASTEWATER. IT WILL BIODEGRADE THINGS LIKE AMMONIA, PHOSPHORUS AND ALSO A LOT OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS THAT WE DON'T WANT GOING OUT INTO THE RIO GRANDE. SO, WE'RE TRYING TO BASICALLY BUILD A BETTER MOUSE TRAP, IMPROVE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ECOLOGICAL DESIGN OF THE BACTERIA IN OUR SYSTEM TO GET

THEM TO BE THE WORK HORSES FOR US TO DO A BETTER JOB AT WASTEWATER TREATMENT. >> ANOTHER HIGH TECH WAY TO GET THAT ENERGY OUT IS SOMETHING CALLED A MICROBIAL FUEL CELL. WE TAKE BACTERIA, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY TAKE THE FOOD IN THE WASTEWATER AND DELIVER ELECTRONS IN THAT WASTEWATER PRODUCING CO2 AND MORE BACTERIA AND BIODEGRADING THE WASTEWATER IN THE PROCESS. SO, THE MICROBIAL FUEL CELLS BASICALLY INSERT A CIRCUIT INTO THE BACTERIAL METABOLISM AND IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE A BATTERY. YOU HAVE THE BACTERIA GROWING ON AN ANODE, SO, HERE IS A LITTLE EXPERIMENTAL ANODE WE HAVE HERE. YOU CAN SEE THERE IS A WIRE COMING OFF OF A LITTLE POROUS PIECE OF FABRIC HERE. YOU CAN DO DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THIS FABRIC TO CHANGE THE SURFACE CHEMISTRY OF IT TO SEE HOW WE CAN FACILITATE BACTERIA GROWING ON THE FABRIC. BACTERIA THEN DELIVER ELECTRONS TO AN ANODE. THE ELECTRONS ON THAT ANODE

THEN TRAVEL THROUGH A CIRCUIT, EVENTUALLY END UP ON A CATHODE, WHERE A REACTION WITH OXYGEN OCCURS AND THE ELECTRONS GET DELIVERED TO THE OXYGEN. SO, YOU HAVE ELECTRONS GOING THROUGH A CIRCUIT NOW. SO THAT IS ENERGY AND WE'RE ABLE DO THINGS WITH THAT ENERGY. WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE A HEAT SOURCE OR LIGHT SOURCE, THAT KIND OF THING. SO THIS IS VERY ACTIVE AREA OF RESEARCH AND SOMETHING WE'RE VERY ACTIVE IN HERE AT UNM.