HOMECOMING - Robert Morris University

the story of oppression, of a people coming togetherbecause of the Spanish Inquisition. You can hear thelamentation."Loyola-Garcia first brewed the idea for a documentary in2005. The process has been slow, beginning with a trip to NewLoyola-Garcia York, where she first began brewed to learn the idea flamenco’s for a documentary complex family in 2005. treeThe-- instructors,process haschoreographers,been slow, beginningperformers,with aandtripstudents.to New"I wasYorkcastingin 2008,the documentary,where she beganin a way,"to learnsheflamenco’srecalls. Amongcomplexthefamily tree – instructors, choreographers, performers, andmany personalities Loyola-Garcia hopes to introduce to widerstudents. "I was casting the documentary, in a way," sheaudiences is José Greco, an early proponent of flamenco inrecalls. Among the many personalities Loyola-Garcia hopesAmerica. Greco passed away in 2000, but Loyola-Garciato introduce to wider audiences is José Greco, an earlyinterviewed the dancer’s daughter and many of Greco'sproponent of flamenco in America. Greco passed away in 2000,students and collaborators, hoping to illustrate his powerfulbut Loyola-Garcia interviewed the dancer’s daughter andlegacy.many of Greco's students and collaborators, hoping toillustrate his powerful legacy."Inheritors of a Burden" is characteristically ambitious, and"Inheritors Loyola-Garcia of a Burden" has crossed is characteristicallythe country inambitious, pursuit of and material. Loyola-Garcia Using grants has from crossed thethe Heinz country Endowments in pursuit and of material. the Pittsburgh Usinggrants Foundation, from the the Heinz intrepid Endowments producer traveled andthe to Washington, Pittsburgh Foundation, Lancaster, and the intrepid Philadelphia.producer Her research traveled took to her Washington, team far asLancaster, Madrid, and she Philadelphia. also planned Her to research shoottook footage her in team New as York, far as California, Madrid, and andshealso Florida. planned But last to shoot year footage she stumbled in New into York, aCalifornia, problem: Her and sizable Florida. grants But last would year not shestumbled fund her into tour a of problem: New York, Her one sizable of grantswould flamenco’s not fund most her important tour of New hotspots. York, oneof flamenco’s most important hotspots.Not to be deterred, Loyola-Garcia turned toNot Kickstarter, to be deterred, an online Loyola-Garcia fundraising turned tool fortoKickstarter, grassroots art an projects. online fundraising She described tool her forgrassrootsproject, setarta goalprojects.of $2,500,She describedand offeredherproject, set a goal of $2,500, and offeredrewards for contributions. Investors whorewards for contributions. Investors whopledged $10 would receive free admissionpledged $10 would receive free admissionto the film’s premiere; at the $50 level,to the film’s premiere; at the $50 level,investors would receive a "special thanks"investors would receive a "special thanks"film credit and a signed DVD. Loyolafilmcredit and a signed DVD. The effortGarcia not only met her goal, she farearned $3,873 from 56 backers in 30 days.surpassed it, earning $3,873 from 56 backersSoon after, she traveled with her film crewtoinNew30 days.YorkSoonand filmedafter, shehourstraveledofwith herinterviewsfilm crew toandNewperformance.York and filmedLoyola-Garciahours ofis interviews still actively and seeking performance. sponsors to fund herremaining shoots and post-production.The film's official premiere is planned forThe December. film's official Loyola-Garcia premiere wants is planned to recut for the December. film in a Loyola- variety ofGarcia forms wants to appeal to recut to a range the film of in viewers a variety and of maximize forms to her appeal toa audience range of on viewers the festival and maximize circuit. "We her want audience to describe on the festival thecircuit. history. "We want to describe show contemporary the history. We flamenco want to artists. show Andcontemporary we want to showcase flamenco what artists. flamenco And we is want -- what to it showcase looks like,what flamenco it sounds is like," – what she it says. looks "In like, the what end, it’s sounds all very like," shesays. intertwined." "In the end, it’s all very intertwined."documentary-inprogress,"Inheritors ofa Burden." "Flamenco is theone performance form that I fell inlove with," says Loyola-Garcia. "It speaksLoyola-Garcia is an energetic polymath whose creativityto me on a very raw, internal level."is blinding. She has already produced a dozen videos, fromLoyola-Garciatraditional documentariesis an energetictopolymathcommissionedwhoseworkscreativityandisexperimentalblinding. Shefilms.has alreadyThese videosproduced adozen demonstrate videos, an from incredible traditional range of visiondocumentaries and intent. "The to Other commissioned Land" a works dreamy andexperimental exploration of films. language These and videos culture, filmeddemonstrate in unnaturally an bright incredible colors range and of starring vision aand creepy intent. mix "The of mummers Other Land" is nuns. a dreamy Inexploration contrast, "Pascua of language Lama" and is aculture, filmedin straightforward unnaturally bright documentary colors and that starringa investigates creepy mix of the mummers gold mining and industry nuns. inIn Chile. contrast, Many "Pascua of these Lama" projects is aincorporatestraightforward both English and documentary Spanish. thatinvestigates the gold mining industry inChile. But the Many artist of is these involved projects in far incorporate more thanboth videography. English and She Spanish. has also created artinstallations, she has curated art shows,But and the she artist has provided is involved video in far backdrops more thanStory forof ofvideography.Quantum TheatreShe hasandalsoothercreatedtheatricalartinstallations,troupes. Hersheworkhashascuratedbeenartshowcasedshows,Flamencoinand she has provided video backdrops forfilm and art exhibitions from Pittsburgh toQuantum Theatre and other theatricalSpain, Canada, Cuba, and her native Chile.troupes. Her work has been showcased inMeanwhile, as an associate professor,film and art exhibitions from Pittsburgh toLoyola-Garcia teaches video and motionSpain, Canada, Cuba, and her native Chile.graphics at Robert Morris, as well as classesMeanwhile, as an associate professor,for Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Carlow College,Loyola-Garcia teaches video and motionThere'sand Carnegie Mellon University, where sheThere’s nothing quite quite like like flamenco. flamenco. To newbies, To it looks a littlegraphics at Robert Morris; she formerlyearned her M.F.A. in 2000.newbies, like tango, it with looks its elaborate a little gestures. like tango, But then with there’s itsthetaught at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Carlowelaborate rhythmic gestures. clapping, the But heavy then steps, there’s and solo theguitar playingCollege, and Carnegie Mellon University,But through it all, there is flamenco.rhythmic melancholic clapping, songs. Created the heavy by the Roma steps, -- or and Gypsies -- ofwhere she earned her M.F.A. in 2000.Loyola-Garcia’s love affair goes back to hersouthern Spain, this passionate dance has spread throughthe solo guitar playing melancholic songs.childhood in Santiago. Her father, an "opera fanatic," took theEurope, Latin America, and even Japan.But through it all, there is flamenco. Loyola-Garcia’s love affairCreated by the Gitano people of southerngoes family back to to see her a performance childhood in of Santiago. Carmen Her that father, featured an dance "operaSpain of southern Spain, this passionate dancesequences modeled on flamenco. Loyola-Garcia wasBut what is the story of flamenco in the United States? Howfanatic," took the family to see a performance of Carmen thathas spread mesmerized. When she was 13, her family took a trip to Spaindid flamenco through come here, Europe, and who Latin dances America,featured dance sequences modeled on flamenco. Loyola-Garciaits steps?andto visit relatives, and she encountered authentic flamenco forThis even is the Japan.was mesmerized. When she was 13, her family took a trip toquestion posed by Carolina Loyola-Garcia,Spain the first to visit time. relatives, When she and reached she encountered college, Loyola-Garcia authentic tookM.F.A., associate professor of media arts, in herflamencoBut whatdance classes, for the and first the time. rest When is historia. she reached "I got hooked, college, you Loyoladocumentary-in-progress,is the story of flamenco "Inheritors in the United of a States? Burden."GarciaHow did know?" took she dance says. "It’s classes, not and something the rest that is historia. I do full-time. "I got hooked, It’s one"Flamenco flamenco is come the one here, performance and who dances form that its steps? I fellyouThis is the of my know?" hobbies. she But says. I’m "It’s very not much something love that with I do it. full-time. It tells theIt’sin question love with," posed says by Loyola-Garcia. Carolina Loyola-Garcia, "It speaksoneM.F.A., associate professor story of of my oppression, hobbies. But of I’m a people very much coming in together love with because it. It tells of theto me on a of very media raw, arts, internalherSpanish Inquisition. You can hear the lamentation."level."TheTheuntolduntoldWRITTEN BY BY ROBERT ISENBERGPHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY BY CAROLINA DIANNE FEAZELL LOYOLA-GARCIA ROSSINI ‘641 14 6 • • R RMU.EDU/FOUNDATIONSM U . E D U / F O U N D I O N S R ROBERT O B E R T M MORRIS O R R I S U UNIVERSITY N I V E R S I T Y F FOUNDATIONS O U N D I O N S • • 1 15 7