Excitement isn't enough for Eva Lucena, director of the Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre in Old Bridge. The choreographer wants her company's programs to be educational, too. Lucena says she is never happier than when audience members leave an Alborada concert saying, "Wow, we never knew that."

How many people, for instance, knew that Spain's most celebrated dance style -- flamenco -- has roots that can be traced to India? Alborada will make this point, and more, when the company opens its 2009-10 season Sunday at the Richard Marasco Performing Arts Center in Monroe Township.

The company's new production, "The Journey," is a dance travelogue that maps the wanderings of gypsy tribes from their ancient homes in Northern India, through Egypt and into Southern Spain. Beginning their travels more than 1,000 years ago, and settling in the region now called Andalucia, the nomads helped give birth to a dance style by turns fiery and somber, recognized the world over as a typically Spanish art.

Yet "The Journey" breaks with the stereotypes of ruffled skirts and castanets. The premiere is an ambitious undertaking for Alborada, involving collaborations with several guest artists performing in different styles. Representing the gypsy peoples of Northern India will be dance soloists Najma Ayasha and "Ashtar" (Julie Nuzzo), while "Alexia" (Kim Leary) and her Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble, from Bordentown, will perform an Egyptian cane dance called "Raks Al Assay.

As a bonus, Ramya Ramnarayan, who directs the Nrithyanjali Institute of Dance in North Brunswick, will appear with her students in a performance of classical dances from India that are not directly related to the gypsy story, but help set the scene. Accompanying them will be the Anadam music ensemble from Bangalore: vocalist Shrishukha Krishnamurthy, mridangist Srihari Rangaswamy and flutist Sri Narasimhamurthy Ramamishra.

Representing traditional flamenco dancing will be Alborada veterans Gisele Assi, Lisa Botalico and Ricardo Santiago, together with the Alborada ensemble, along with singer David Castellano and guitarists Arturo Martinez and Carlos Revollar. Oud player "Sinon" and drummer Dave Merritt will join in numbers with a Middle Eastern flavor.

The concert not only juxtaposes dances from different countries, following the gypsies on their route, but also gives the performers opportunities to trade rhythms and ideas.

A centerpiece of the "The Journey" is a "fusion" piece called "From India to Triana," in which all the musicians jam. Botalico says Martinez, the guitarist, has had a long-standing interest in Indian music and was instrumental in assembling this number.

"He has very specific rhythms he wants me to beat out, which are based in Indian rhythms," Botalico explains. "Then it morphs into flamenco, and you don't even realize that that's happened." In another section of the piece, Botalico says she trades footwork and arm gestures with Ayasha.

Yet another duet on the program, "Felagmengu," explores the Moorish influence on flamenco, with Botalico and Alexia playing off each other. Such lively encounters make "The Journey" a learning experience for the artists as well as the public. Flamenco dancing, Botalico says, "came out of a very deep historical context, and when you delve into that it enriches your understanding, physically and spiritually. For me, it just opens up so much."