Founded in 1976, by Artistic Director, Dame Libby Komaiko, the companys remarkably rich history includes: over 90 company dancers representing nearly twenty countries and cultures; over 160 youth dancers from ages twelve to eighteen; over 60 international guest artists and musicians from Spain and the Americas; over 120 full-length choreographies created for the company; over 2,600 scholarships awarded to talented aspiring dancers and musicians; tours of Illinois, the Midwest, the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Poland and China; over 1.4 million in concert audiences; and, over 6 million television viewers worldwide watching the Ensemble Espa?ol perform at the opening ceremonies of the 1994 World Cup in Chicago. The work of the Ensemble provides consistent educational, cultural and entertainment options for the Chicago community along with artistic and professional opportunities for Chicago artists. The importance and purpose of its mission lies in the unifying power of art. The Ensemble's audience is made up of people from a diversity of cultural, economic, social, educational, and religious backgrounds and age groups.

The Ensemble Espanol Center for Spanish Dance and Music 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. Through performance, training and educational programming the Ensemble promotes this cultural pluralism as a living source of pride at the city, state, national, and international levels.

The work of the Ensemble includes: hosting weekly community Spanish and Flamenco dance & music classes for children, adult and professionals; the Ensemble Espa?ol Spanish Dance Youth Company, the foundation for the training of young artists to the professional company; professional training and presentation of Spanish dance and music concerts; Tales of Spain/Historias de Espa?a multimedia lecture concerts for grade & high school students, Spain's Dancing Rhythms outreach performances and residencies, local, national and international scholarship/apprenticeship programs, and hosting the annual international American Spanish Dance Festival with guest artists from Spain and the U.S. Annually, we reach approximately 30,000 individuals through our workshops, residencies, and performances.