Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernesto Caballero and Jenny Rios-Caballero. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Ernesto Caballero and his wife, Jenny Rios, are partners in both, their Flamenco Alboreá Dances company and in life itself. And as is the case with many great love and success stories, theirs is a case of parallel tracks coming together.
Each of them studied dance from an early age in their native Bolivia. Ernesto is in Santa Cruz and Jenny is on the other side of the country in Potosi. Ernesto toured the country and outside locales like Peru, Ecuador, and Spain, performing well-received folkloric routines. But when a drought in Potosi brought Jenny to Santa Cruz, the fates were put in motion for them to become dance partners.
Their eventual move to the United States, employment at Universal Studios Florida, Walt Disney World, and other attractions held out the promise of exciting new opportunities Now, two decades later, Central Florida is home, and Flamenco Alboreá company they founded has grown into a thriving performance and education initiative.
Production like ‘Journey to Andalucia”, ‘The Phantom – a Flamenco Story”, typify the contemporary approach to the art form that is Alboreá’s stock in trade. Along the way, there have been plenty of opportunities to collaborate with Jamaican, African, and Middle Eastern dancers, in hybrid performances that have been among the benefits of living in a diverse community like greater Orlando.
“Opportunity brought us to Central Florida and what we found is a whole world of multicultural beauty. It’s amazing to be able to meet people from almost every part of the world.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We arrived in the 2000s, but the event of September 11th in 2001, caused many changes in immigration procedures, which affected in many degrees to everyone.
That was a big concern, for us took a very long time to finally get everything to straighten out, but meanwhile, life show us both sides of the coin, we found many people that supported us and helped us in many ways.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We grow up learning dance, classic ballet, contemporary dance, and folklore dances from Bolivia. Thru the years we specialized in flamenco taking classes from different teachers in the states and Spain.
We are satisfied with our work with a variety of dance styles that helped us in getting our own way of expressing Flamenco dance, merging this spirited and rhythmical form with the innovative twist of modern fusions.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Migrating from one country to another, leaving all your life, your family, friends, and stepping up in a new role where you don’t know the language and you don’t know if you are taking the best decision or not, that is the biggest risk you take.
To walk into the unknown and only perseverance can keep you going even in the most difficult times because every change in your life comes with a big challenge.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@alboreadances.com
- Website: www.alboreadances.com
- Instagram: @FlamencoAlboreaOrlando
- Facebook: Flamenco Alborea Orlando
Image Credits
Alex Olivera, Brion Price, and Sally Ilkhan
