History

It isn’t nostalgia; it isn’t a preservation of values that they cannot fall into oblivion, because they form part of the cultural patrimony of a people village. For this reason "Despertar el Ayer", composed by persons of different ages and professions of Villanueva de Alcardete, is working very hard in this project without another support that of its own idealism.

The Association of Choirs and Dances "Despertar el Ayer" founded in 1.969 with the name of "Virgen de la Piedad", since then, until to now, in its long history, has participated in numerous contests and festivals, weeks of la Mancha, festivals, by almost all parts of Spain, as well as abroad.

Its dances collect the typical of the town: jotas, seguidillas, fandangos, rondeñas and processional dances, compiled by the association through the oral tradition, complying thus, with the fundamental objective since their foundation.

According to the Anthology of the Musical Folklore of the Professor Garcia Matos published by the UNESCO, so much the Seguidilla as the Jota of La Mancha have been always the most esteemed dances and cultivated by the town. The traditions indicate La Mancha as the zone in which had its origin the Seguidilla, turning out to be very certain the fact of being such region where with more intensity was practiced and is practiced, and in which acquires greater musical and choreographic diversity.

Since its foundation in 1.969 has obtained numerous and various prizes, having represented in many occasions to the Community of Castilla- La Mancha and to its province, Toledo; has participated in festivals and contests for all the national and international geography, emphasizing mainly:  

In Spain: deserves to emphasize its participation in the Corpus Christi of Toledo, festivals in Talavera de la Reina, la Rosa del Azafrán in Consuegra, Festival de Mayos of Pedro Muñoz, Albacete, Ciudad Real, and practically in almost all its community. Día Nacional de la Jota in Zaragoza, Semanas manchegas in Madrid, Malaga and Barcelona. It has visited Murcia, Córdoba, Teruel, Palencia, La Rioja, Asturias, Galicia, canary archipelago in the Island of El Hierro and Tenerife, as well as in Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.

Internacional level: representing to Spain, has participated in the exchange cultural Homage of Toledo with the city of Agen of France; Festival in Nespereira and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal; folk tour by the north of Italy and participation in the Tuskany Festival; actions in the World's Fair of the city of Taejón, in South Korea, with actions for the Korean television -KBS-. Also it has visited in the year 1.999 the International Festival of the Spring, in the state of Utah in the United States of America, showing a good national level, and being congratulated publicly by the different nations.

Recently, the group has represented to Spain in the European Folk Festival celebrated in Austria and the Festival of Jambes in the city of Namur in Belgium in the years 2006 and 2007 respectively. .

Once a year, since its origins in 1.986, is the organizer and the group participates in the International Festival of Folklore of Villanueva de Alcardete.

Since the year 2.002, it belongs to FACYDE (Federación de Asociaciones de Coros y Danzas de España), and as source of maintenance possesses a Folk School very large, for the sap of the group continues alive and transcend of parents to children their better legacy: the traditions and customs that represented through the folklore revive ancient times.