The Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater is the premier Spanish dance company and center in the United States to have in-residence status at a university, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago. The Ensemble is chartered to share the rich traditions of the dance, music, literature, and culture of Spain in the classical, folkloric and Flamenco styles, with all communities, and to be a center which encourages new artistic creativity within the framework of the Ibero-Hispanic experience. The company, founded in 1976 by artistic director Dame Libby Komaiko, is comprised of forty dancers, singers, and musicians representing a mosaic of cultures from around the world. The Ensemble Español celebrates Spain in America by presenting and promoting cultural pluralism at the community, state, national, and international levels, and at the annual American Spanish Dance Festival administered by the Ensemble. The company shares a rich history and mission of commitment to inter-American and inter-Hispanic world cultures. Within this these cultural contexts, the Ensemble represents classical, ethnic, folkloric, and contemporary traditions as living sources of cultural pride and education. Dame Libby, professor of dance in the music department and dance program, is also the founder and originator of the first academic program and center for Spanish dance in America at Northeastern Illinois University. Today, the Ensemble Español is praised by educators, social agencies, the professional arts world, journalists, and American and Hispanic world governments. The Ensemble appears in a broad range of television, opera, film, and symphonic formats, including with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and works in cultural and educational arts programs developed with state, national, and international government agencies. The Ensemble Español has performed throughout the United States, the Midwest, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Poland and at every major university in Chicago and Illinois. Company dancers guest performances & residencies include Costa Rica, Hawaii & Australia. An extraordinary repertoire of over 120 works (Spanish ballets, traditional folkloric suites and Flamenco dramas) by Dame Libby Komaiko, Edo, Maria Alba, Victorio Korjhan, Roberto Lorca and Spain's legendary dancers and choreographers; Juan Mata & Ana Gonzalez, founding members and former first dancers of the National Ballet of Spain, Timo Lozano, Edo, Paco Alonso, Juanjo Linares, foremost authority on folklore, and Flamenco masters Manolete & Carmela Greco, daughter of the legendary Spanish dancer Jose Greco, exemplifies the Ensemble's dedication to its cultural and artistic mission.

Honorary Chairpersons

The Honorable	The Honorable
Rod R. Blagojevich	Richard M. Daley
Governor of Illinois	Mayor, City of Chicago
Francisco J. Vigueira	Sharon K. Hahs
Consul General of Spain	President, Northeastern Illinois University
Dr. Salme Harju Steinberg President Emerita Northeastern Illinois University

Founder and Artistic Director
Dame Libby Komaiko

Ballet Mistress / Production Assistant to Dame Libby Komaiko
Anna Czajun

First Dancers & Rehearsal Masters
Irma Suarez Ruiz and Jorge Perez

Company Dancers

Sara Samuels, Principal Dancer Claudia Pizarro Julia Hinojosa Olivia Serrano Monica Saucedo Ifat Aharoni Leticia Aravena Yu-Ling Hu

José Torres, Principal Dancer Israel Sanchez Nestor Corona Sergio Salas Juan Castellon Sean Arrana

Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Youth Company

Carolyn Bernal Katherine Freeland Paloma Mitchell Evelyn Sanchez

Eileen Nicole Acevedo Amanda Saucedo SonJa Dekhtar Anais Cotillas

Frida Medina Paolo E. Mitchell Luis A. Beltran Dimitri Mareno

Flamenco Musicians

Maria Elena "La Cordobesa" Flamenco Singer Mateo, Flamenco Guitarist Mick LaBriola, Percussionist Jacco Muller, Flamenco Guistarist Carlo Basile, Flamenco Guitarist David Chiriboga, Flamenco Guitarist Esperanza Fernandez, Flamenco Singer Antonio Gabarri Jimenez, Flamenco Guitarist Cynthia Aguirre, Flutist Angela Ponzio, Flamenco Singer

Manuel Palacin, Flamenco Singer Paco Fonta, Flamenco Singer & Guitarist Greg Wolfe, Flamenco Guitarist Pansequito, Flamenco Singer & Guitarist Chiara Mangiameli, Flamenco Singer Hector Fernandez, Flamenco Guitarist David Gonzalez, Flamenco Guitarist Trevor May, Flamenco Guitarist Kassandra Kocoshis, Percussionist Michael Gadzinski, Violinist

Classical Musicians

Dorothy Komaiko, Pianist Steve Zivin, Pianist Brian Torosian, Guitarist Shannon Heaton, Flutist Phyllis Hurt, Soprano

Luis Galvez, Tenor William Schutt, Pianist Juan Antonio Mata, Pianist Mathew Heaton, Guitarist

Orchestras and Music Ensembles
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Evanston Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra of the Americas
Hardwood Early Music Ensemble
Las Guitarras de España

Guest Artists
Juan Mata, Founding Member, former First Dancer,
choreographer & current Rehearsal Master, Ballet Nacional de España, Madrid, Spain
Ana González, Director, Pilar Lopez Dance Academy
Founding member and former First Dancer of the Ballet Nacional de España
Juanjo Linares, Foremost folklorist authority, faculty, choreographer, costume designer,
founder and former director of the Grupo Nacional de Danzas de Madrid,
Semantes de Arte de Ordes (La Coruña), Semillas del Arte de Madrid &
Semillas del Arte de la Puebla de Montalban (Toledo), Madrid, Spain
Paco Alonso, Faculty, choreographer, Flamenco singer, costumer,
stage & film actor, Barcelona, Spain
Manolete, Flamenco dancer, choreographer, former Soloist, choreographer and
Flamenco Specialist of the Ballet Nacional de España, Madrid, Granada, Spain
Timo Lozano, Flamenco dancer, choreographer & filmmaker, Madrid, Spain
Edo, Faculty, Flamenco & Folkloric dancer & choreographer, Chicago, Madrid
Celia Fonta, Flamenco dancer, teacher & choreographer, Miami
Vida Peral, Flamenco dancer, choreographer, teacher & former Soloist
with Ensemble Español, Amsterdam, Madrid, Spain
Gloria de Jerez, Flamenco dancer & choreographer, Jerez, Spain
Lily Sie Vega, Flamenco dancer, choreographer & folkloric teacher, Madrid, Spain
Carmela Greco, Renowned Flamenco dancer & choreographer,
daughter of the legendary Jose Greco, Madrid
Paloma Gomez, Former Soloist of the National Ballet of Spain, Madrid
Cristian Lozano, Former Soloist of the National Ballet of Spain, Madrid

We wish to acknowledge all of the guest artists, dancers, musicians and staff
who have been a part of the Ensemble Español over the past three decades and
have contributed to making this company the international jewel that it is.
Gracias.