On saturday, even on sunday, there were many smashed sticks due to the festival on the stick-dances.
Saturday evening
On May the 19th and the 20th it was celebrating the first international stick-dance festival together with the 42nd Euskal Jaia (Basque festival) of Eibar.
In spite of the bad weather we had the chance to see five stick-dance-groups in Untzaga square, in Eibar.
The first ones performing were those from Cortes. “Yona” dance group showed us their local stick-dances. Next ones were the “Danzantes de San Asensio” (La Rioja) . They danced some dances among all sort of the stick.dances of their region. The third group performing were “Haritz dantza taldea” from the neighbouring village of Elgoibar. With two groups of 12 people, 12 girls and 12 boys, they showed to the audience the short-stick-dance of the region of Guipuscoa, called “Gipuzkoako makila-txikien dantza“.
The fourth ones were the dancers from Otsagabia. They were all the time guided by the character of bobo and they danced some typical dances of Otsagabia, like “Emperador”, “Katutxa”. “Modorro” or “Jota”. The festival concluded with the performance of the local group Kezka dantza taldea. They showed us the short-stick-dance on the Lady of Arrate.
Rainy Sunday
If on Saturday it had not been raining so much, on Sunday it had been pouring with rain. At 10.30 in the morning all dance groups met at the town-council to be wellcomed by the town councillor on cultural affairs, Maria Jose Telelría. Then, when we saw that it did not stop raining, we determined to perform in the Coliseo theatre instead of doing in the local square.
Therefore, everyone met at the theatre, and this our international festival went on at the Coliseo. This time, we, the local dance group, were the first one performing. We (the whole dance groups and the school of dance) performed dances on the carnival of the villages of Abaltzisketa and Lizartza (both in Guipuscoa). Then it was the turn of the group of Castello, “El Todó-Danses Guerreres de la Todolella“. They showed us two stick-dances and a great sword-dance. Then the group from Cortes began their performance beating and smashing their sticks, and this became very nice for the audience.
The bastoners of Terrassa (Catalonia) performed with two great groups and their nice movements and beautiful stick-playing also became very grateful for the people. After this group it was the turn of the stick-dancers of “Oin Arin” of Antzuola (Guipuscoa). 12 dancers showed us their own stick-dance.
The Portuguese dancers of “Pauliteiros de Miranda do Douro” were the ones who smashed their sticks too, and even more, they asked for more sticks because theirn own ones were absolutely broken. They showed us some heavy but great stick-dances and even a human tower. After the Portuguese ones it was the turn for the group Izartxo from Uztaritz. They performed the stick dances of “Errobiko kaskarotak”
The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup were the most special ones for us due to their blackened faces and their special dressing, and because they are unique in the world!. They performed two Garland dances and a “Nut” dance. One of these dancers was 71 years old… amazing!
This first international festival on the stick-dances end with the performance of the groups “Indarra” from Gasteiz. They danced stick-dances from Pipaón and Villabuena (Álava).
The party carried on in Untzaga square. After a popular lunch we enjoyed with the festival of the music group “Patxi eta Konpainia”
