 The ezpatadantzaris stand in four lines. Each dantzari holds his sword by the hilt with his right hand and holds it out towards the dantzari in front of him. Thus, each dantzari holds the tip of the sword of the dantzari behind him with his left hand and thus opens his hand outwards. The leader stands between the four tows and holds the tips in both hands of the four swords of the dantzaris at the front of the four lines. The leader grasps two swords with each hand. The azkendariak, who are each carrying two short swords, are at the back of the group and each of them stand at the end of a row.
The ezpatadantza, which begins to be performed from this initial configuration, consists of two very different parts: the bridges ( zubiak) and the dance of the small swords. Another type of movement is performed for the guard of honour. explanation of the ezpatadantza
| Bridges The dantzaris began to advance in unison to the beat of the music. At a given moment, the leader raises the swords up and all the dantzaris raise their swords over their heads. The leader gives a half turn and changes the swords he is holding to the other hand. He goes between the lines to the rear of the group. The dantzaris at the head of the line (datnzaris 1, 2, 3 and 4) then begin to turn. Holding their swords over their heads, dantzaris 1 and 4 turn towards the outer part of the group and dantzaris 2 and 3 inwards. The dantzaris in the second line repeat this movement when they reach the front position, but the turn in the opposite direction to the one taken by the first dantzari in the line. The third line repeats the movement in the same direction as the first and the fourth as the second, until the whole group finishes up looking backwards.
As far as the azkendariak are concerned, once they reach the front, they stay there. The leader performs another bridge and the group then face the other direction (forwards) again, only that this time, the azkendaris remain guarding the front. Dagger Dance
The dance performed by the azkendariak with their short swords is made up of three parts. During the first, they perform the long txingo promenade, in the second, they dance the zortziko and in the third, they perform the short sword set. | DOINUA | Ezpata txikien dantza Urratsak
| | A | Long txingo promenade
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| Call
| | B | Zortzikoko sentziloa eskuinarekin
Oin punta gailur ezkerrarekin
Belauneko gurpila jirakoa ezkerrera
Lauarin
Lasterka jirakoa eskuinera
Oin punta gailur ezkerrarekin
Zortzikoko sentziloa eskuinarekin
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| Deia
| | C | Ezpata txikien jokoa eskuineko eskuarekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa ezkerreko eskuarekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa eskuineko eskuarekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa ezkerreko eskuarekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa bi ezpatekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa bi ezpatekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa bi ezpatekin
Ezpata txikien jokoa bi ezpatekin
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| Deia
| | | Explanation of the guard of honour |
The leader releases three of the four swords that he is holding and, only grasping the sword of right line, he sets off running to the beat of the drum. The whole of the right line follows him and the last dancer in that line joins with the first dantzaris in the second line by holding onto his sword by his left hand and drags the whole of the line into the run. The third line is joined to the second line in the same way and the fourth follows on to the third.
The leader marks out a large circle and when he reaches the spot where he wants to start the entrance to the guard of honour, he stops and turns round to face the dantzar behind him. The ezpatadantzaris, as they reach the spot where the guard of honour will be formed, they hold their swords over their heads and turn outwards until they are facing the opposite dantzari. The dantzaris stand in a zigzag line and the guard of honour is formed with their swords held high.
The guard of honour finishes with the leader setting off again and the dantzaris turn and set off behind him in the same order that they followed to form the guard, but this time in the opposite direction. When the dantzaris reach their initial positions, the chain of swords is broken and the group forms four lines again.
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