Olé! Spanish dancer troupe to visit SCCC

NEWTON-The Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre Company will give a free performance at 10:50 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Theatre at Sussex County Community College. The audience will be taken to Sacromonte, Granada, Spain, as dancers Lisa Botalico, Carlos and Gisele Revollar, Ricki Santiago, Eva Lucena, and Cristina Cardenas perform as an extended gypsy family dancing for tourists in their gypsy cave/tavern in Alborada’s production of Olé. The Alborada company was originally founded in 1965 by María Alba, known to many aficionados as the greatest exponent of the seguiriya and many other Spanish dance drama pieces in the U.S. The group was an integral part of the summer concerts at Jacobs Pillow in the 1960s and 70s under the name of The María Alba Spanish Dance Company. In 1980, the company was revitalized under the direction of María and its current director, Eva Lucena, who brought to the company a group of extraordinary new dancers and choreographers. Eva and María, before her passing in 1992, believed strongly in bringing a broad perspective of Spanish culture and traditions to the community. To this end, they worked to set Alborada apart from other Spanish dance companies, by bringing to the stage dance dramas such as El Amor Brujo, and dramatizations of the poetry of Federico García Lorca, as well as regional and traditional dances from all parts of Spain, such as jotas from Valencia and dances from Asturias and Galicia. Granada - the End, Eva’s original choreography dramatizing the death of García Lorca, was nominated for a National Endowment for the Arts dance award. The Alborada embraces all Spanish dance art forms, enabling its audience to experience the breathtaking richness and beauty of the culture in full context. Alborada is committed to share with the community the rich diversity of Spanish cultural heritage through art and education. The company is part of Middlesex County’s Arts Education Program. Every year, Alborada brings Spanish dance to many of the schools, senior centers, and community libraries in N.J. and N.Y., with master classes and lecture demos. For more information on the Oct. 27 performance, call 973-300-2232.