Dancing in Portugal

 

On July the 7th the group of dance Kezka dantza taldea from Eibar took part in an International stick-dance festival in the village of Miranda do Douro, in Portugal. Together with us there were two other groups from a small region of Zamora and Sanabria (both Spain) called Tierras del Pan and Tábara. Furthermore, there were also five stick-dance groups from Portugal: Malhadas, Palaçoulo, Fonte d’Aldeia, Duas Igrejas and the local dancers from Miranda do Douro.

We must mention the performance of both groups from Zamora. On one hand, the ones from Tábara. This group showed us a great stick-dance. Dressed with some amazing hats and guided by the character of Birrio (buffoon character) they performed some fox-dance-like dances. On the other hand, we had the chance to know the other dance group from Zamora. This group from Tierras del Pan was guided by a very known musician called Alberto Jambrina. He is very known in the traditional music due to his knowledge in the flute and drum. This group performed also their own stick-dances.

Finally, our group, Kezka dantza taldea, together with the flute players of Usartza txistulari banda performed the dances on the Lady of Arrate. Our performance began with the Sword-dance on the Lady of Arrate and it continued with the stick-dances.

We had a short but an intensive stay in Portugal. We have been very well attended by the organisation of the festival and we also have to thanks to some people like Andrea, Cristina, Vitor, Tosé and to those who have been working for the traditional culture in the organisation Mirandanças. Besides, we had the opportunity to know the village walking through the streets due to the wonderful parade we had before the performance.

Moito obrigado Mirandanças!

If you want to see all photos taken by Iñaki Zugasti please click here

International stick dance festival

Almost a month ago, on May the 19th and on the 20th, it was celebrating the first international stick dance festival in the villages of Eibar (Gipuzkoa) and Pamplona (Nafarroa).

There were many dance groups invited to this festival. One the one hand, there were plenty groups from the Basque Country and on the other hand we had the chance to see the performances of some international stick dance groups from Catalonia and from Spain. Besides, there were other groups like “Pauliteiros de Miranda do Douro”, from Portugal and the Morris dancers of “The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup, from England. This festival was co-organised by the dance groups of “Duguna dantza taldea” of Pamplona and “Kezka dantza taldea” of Eibar.

Here you can read the reports of both days and you can also see some photos of the festival:

• The report on the festival in Eibar , on May the 19th and the 20th
• The report on the festival in Pamplona, on May the 19th
• Images of the festival. Pamplona, May the 19th (I)
  
• Images of the festival. Pamplona, May the 19th (II)
• Images of the festival. Eibar, May the 19th
• Images of the festival. Eibar, May the 20th
• Newspaper library

The Coliseo theatre has been opened

The Coliseo theatre has been opened. We have been waiting for long time to have again a theatre in the town of Eibar. The town council had asked some local groups (Choral Sostoa, the group of theatre named Antzerki Maitaleak, previously called Teatro Interior, the musicians of Usartza Txistulari taldea and the dancers from Kezka Dantza Taldea) to show a performance for the openning of the theatre.

The inauguration of the Coliseo was in the 23 of March. The theatre was filled with different people from social and cultural affairs. The theatre has a capacity for 500 people. The spectacle began after opening the inauguration plate in the entrance of the theatre.

 

The performance began with the musical composition called Orbea Kontrapasa. Jose Miguel Laskurain, Enrike Montero, Asier Castelos and German Ereña, are the members of the Usartza Txistulari taldea who played that musical composition gathered in the city of Eibar. Josu was the one who danced agurra with that music and then we danced some parts of the Sworddance on the Lady of Arrate.

Afterwards, there were politicians speeches. The first one was the mayor Iñaki Arriola, then the provincial governor Jose Juan Gonzalez de Txabarri and finally the Spanish undersecretary on house affairs.

The group of theatre “Antzerki Maitaleak” represented some plays of the work of Federico García Lorca and some elements of the poetry of Juan San Martin. In the second part of our performance we danced Durangaldeko dantzari-dantza, played by the musicians of our group Felix Elortza and Iñaki Barua. In order to dance the Durangaldeko dantzari-dantza we took the version of other spectacles like Zortziko or Alakiketan, created by the group of dance “Argia dantza taldea”. In the begining of the sworddance, the group stood lined up in one row to begin the dance. After the sworddance we danced zortzinango and txotxongilo.

Finally, the musicians Ander and Aintzane Agirrebeña played Arratiako jotak. Two musical pieces (jota and porrua) which were tought to us by Josean Legarreta, a member of Andra Mari dantza taldea from Galdakao.

Here you can see:

More photos (taken by Felipe Loyola)

Two basque dancers and a blog

We are Oier & Oier, two dancers from the Basque Country. We dance traditional dancers and we see the world with our dancers glasses. By this blog, we will try to share with you  the dancing world we live. We use to blog on dantzan.com, a web that we run about dancing in Basque.