A major mission of Alborada is to bring the rich diversity of Spanish Dance and music to New Jersey and the surrounding Tri-State area, which is home to the largest Hispanic population in the U.S. Alborada is proud to be the premier dance company in this area presenting the full spectrum of dance forms from Spain: from the Jotas of the north, regional dances from Asturias and Galicia, Zarzuela songs and dances, Classical dances, Escuela Bolera (18th century court/”school” dances), to Flamenco dances and songs. In addition, we sometimes include guest presentations of other Latin American dance forms (i.e., Mexican, Columbian) to demonstrate the cross-cultural influence between Spain and the New World.

Elementary and High Schools: Alborada can help your students meet the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Visual and Performing Arts (Standards 1.1 through 1.6) by providing a presentation tailored to your school's needs and budget. At the beginning of and throughout the presentation, the origins of Spanish dance and music traditions will be explained and then demonstrated by 4 to 6 company dancers accompanied by recorded music and/or a musician and singer. Interactive participation by the students will be provided, as they learn the basics of palmas (rhythmic clapping), taconeo (footwork) and braceo (arm movements). With this presentation, children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds will gain an understanding of Spanish dance and music traditions.

Libraries and Museums: Alborada offers its “Taste of Spain” presentation, which in a one hour provides an overview of the dance forms and music of Spain. This program has been presented in several New Jersey county library systems, including Ocean and Middlesex, and at many museums, including Newark. A short introduction explaining the dances and their cultural influences will begin the presentation. Four to 6 company dancers will demonstrate the dances accompanied by recorded music and/or a musician and singer. The musician will also demonstrate some of the musical traditions of Spain - using the Flamenco guitar (toque) or classical arrangements.

Colleges and Universities: A full length (2 hour) company performance can be booked through your campus theatre; please contact Eva Lucena for more information and pricing. Master classes or workshops in specific aspects of Spanish Dance can be arranged for your students in conjunction with a company performance, and are conducted by either Eva Lucena or one of the company principal artists.

Presentations can be arranged for your Diversity and International Affairs programs that include elements of our school and “Taste of Spain” offerings. Special inter-departmental programs can be designed with your Language, Dance and Theatre departments demonstrating the various aspects of Spanish art traditions.

Corporate Diversity Training Programs: Alborada can enhance your corporation's diversity training program with a presentation whereby your employees learn more about Spanish and Hispanic traditions through dance and music, incorporating elements from our “Taste of Spain” offering and providing live musical accompaniment. Alborada has given private performances for corporate Hispanic clubs and as part of Hispanic Heritage Month for several corporations including Merrill Lynch, Colgate-Palmolive and Merck.

Festivals: Alborada regularly performs in Hispanic Heritage Month, Arts and Humanities Month, in international festivals and in street fairs. Depending on your budget, Alborada can provide its company dancers with musicians and singers or its junior company of top students performing with recorded music. We have performed in many festivals state-wide, such as Raritan Valley, Metuchen, East Brunswick and Atlantic City.

Charitable Organizations and Community Outreach: As part of our community outreach program, Eva Lucena and/or one of the Alborada principal artists conduct master classes for disadvantaged children and adults. Alborada has also had the pleasure of performing for charitable organizations such as the NJ Veteran's Home. Alborada is dedicated to giving back to the community and bringing the joy of the arts to those who are less fortunate.

Over the past several years, Alborada has been seen on NJN (New Jersey Public Television) on many occasions. We appeared on NJN in June 2004 on the Images/Imagenes program Flamenco: the Essence of Dance and Drama, and because of the audience response, this program has been shown many more times since its original airing. This piece was edited beautifully by NJN from the 2 hour show they filmed at our performance at Kean University in May 2004. Eva Lucena was a guest speaker on a show in 2002 entitled Latino Fashions: The Influences of Spanish Dress throughout the Latino World and the USA. Three dancers from the Company modeled various costumes: a classical costume from the times of Goya, a traditional Flamenco dress with a bata de cola (train) from 100 years ago, and a polka-dot dress depicting the original gypsy costumes deriving from India 1000 years ago, where the gypsies sewed small round mirrors (lunares) into their dresses to ward off the evil eye. Eva Lucena spoke about the history of these lunares (meaning small moons, which later became polka dots) and about the other clothes that have influenced the world-at-large. In 2000, NJN presented the Company in a Showcase concert entitled The History of Spanish Dance. For three years consecutively, several of our principal dancers were the guest artists at NJPAC for the Hispanic Youth Showcase. Alborada was instrumental in helping NJN's Images/Imagenes win their 2001 Emmy award.