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Eguberri eta
Urte Berri On!
Merry Christmas &
Happy New Year!
Feliz Navidad y
Prospero Año
Nuevo!
Joyeux Noël
et
Bonne Année
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Baztango "Mutil
Dantzak" workshop
(Nov. 2009) |
Our dance workshop for
the dances from the Baztan region of Nafarroa was conducted by our visiting Basque country instructor
Patxi Larralde who has developed a system for the teaching of
these dances.
Related link:
NABO dance workshops
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Our Nov. 2009 workshop
instructor Patxi Larralde
(playing the txistu) instructed the "mutil dantzak" of the Baztan
region of Nafarroa.
He has developed a methodology of
teaching these dances that works well.
Mil esker to Patxi & his father Javier for making the trip here
to teach us these dances. |
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Mutil-dantzak
literally means boys dances, in which young people dance in a
circle open. Based on the name, it appears these dances were
originally for young
unmarried men.
Female
participation in these dances during the official festivals is controversial with some in
favor and others opposed.
Traditionally the towns of the valley of Baztan in Nafarroa have
had dancing holidays, when these dances are performed.
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There are nineteen dances, but not all
are danced at the same time. The choreographic
repertoire seems very old, if one takes into account the
content of motor steps, very simple but multiple
combinations, and the qualifications of many of the
dances, alluding to issues of rural areas primarily
related to animals and especially with birds.
These dances share some things in
common with the iantziak-dances from the Iparralde
or northern, French side of the Basque country and in the
village of Luzaide in Navarre. |
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Participants at the Bakersfield workshop
Javier Larralde,
Arizkungo txistularia
Old postcard of the mutil
dantzak of Baztan
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< These
NABO dance workshops are made possible through a
grant from the Basque Government.
< The Baztan region
is in the northern
part of Nafarroa
The flag of
Baztan >
Related
link:
N.A.B.O. Dance |
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A view of the valley of Baztan in
Nafarroa, the place of origin of many Basque immigrants to the western
United States. Their dances have been under-represented and
accordingly, this workshop aimed to feature them.
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