The Amics de la Sardana in Sitges will organise the 34th edition of this Catalonia wide competition on 29th July. Those interested in watching this traditional Catalan dance, can go to La Fragata at 6pm on 29th September to witness it for themselves. This event will include a youth category and will be accompanied by the Cobla (Orchestra) Maricel

What is the Sardana?

The Sardana is performed by Sardinistas and is described by the Encyclopedia Britannica as follows:

sardana, communal dance intimately bound up with Catalan national consciousness. It is danced by men and women who join hands alternately in a closed circle. As they dance to the music of the sardana cobla (orchestra)—typically composed of one flabiol (a fipple flute that calls the dancers together), a tamborí (small drum), two tibles (oboelike double-reed woodwinds), two tenores (larger double-reed woodwinds), two trompetes (brass trumpets), two fiscorns (larger brass trumpets), a trombé (brass trombone), and a contrabaix (contrabass or double bass)—their faces remain solemn and dignified.

The basic pattern of the sardana is a series of long (llarg) and short (curt) steps. The precise combination of those steps is determined by the leader, who signals the steps with a hand squeeze that is passed around the circle. The music is first slow and then picks up speed. The sardana developed in the 19th century from the contrapás, a similar dance with a broken circle.