a special cake within which is hidden a plastic baby Jesus.
Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre,
New Jersey’s premiere Flamenco
and Spanish Dance company, celebrates this wonderful tradition with
its own unique take on the “Nutcracker” story - “El Sueño” (translated as “The Dream”), conceived
and directed by Alborada’s Associate Artistic Director Lisa Botalico.
As noted by Alborada’s Executive
Director Eva Lucena, “this cultural
experience is designed to reach
out not only to the growing Hispanic population in New Jersey,
but also to non-Hispanic audiences
with a new interpretation of a cherished holiday classic”. “By breaking
away from the typical holiday stories, Alborada’s tapestry of dances
and music from both Spain and
Latin America gives the general
public the unique opportunity to
share a little girl’s dream from a
different cultural prism”, according
to Lisa Botalico.
The “El Sueño” storyline loosely
follows the “Nutcracker” theme,
while bringing the cultural traditions of Spain and other Hispanic
cultures to life for the audience.
The show opens with Clarita and
her family and friends as they
celebrate Three Kings Day in a
typical plaza in Spain (with a set
showing traditional Spanish architecture authentically created
and fabricated by Alborada’s set
designer Charles Seal). After
they dance, they get to see the
Three Kings - dressed in elaborate
robes and masks - give gifts to
all. Clarita’s aunt, Tia María (the
Spanish version of Drosselmeyer)
gives her a matador doll (instead
of the Nutcracker doll). When the
doll is broken, Tia María uses her
magic to repair the doll, and also
sends Clarita into a dream. Clarita
dreams of her doll – who magically comes to life as the young
Matador – as he bravely fights the
King “Toro” (the great bull, which
replaces the Mouse King) and his
picadors (instead of the mice).
When Clarita helps the matador
defeat the bull, the Queen Maja
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