explanation of the dance

The dantzaris stand in a circle around the mast or pole used for the zinta-dantza and hold a ribbon in their hands. When the music starts up, the leader will dance the zortziko and they will then all dance the main call and the zortziko. The set will then begin. The dantzaris first cross the tapes and then braid them around the pole. They dance the call and then unbraid the ribbons. Traditionally, once the ribbons were braided, the leader and dantzaris used to perform the zortziko facing backwards, but as we consider here that the audience will only be in front of the group, and not behind it, this part is not performed.

Unlike the other dances in the brokel-danta cycle, the zortziko performed in the zinta-danza by the leader has been passed down as it has been traditionally danced. In other words, the sequence of steps of the zortziko that is performed within the zinta-dantza has been preserved in its consolidated version. On other hand, the group repeats the zortziko danced by the leader in the zinta-danza.

steps

position changes

There are no position changes in the zortziko. When the ribbon set is performed, the dantzaris cross over to the right and left and alternatively, until each dantzari returns to its initial position. The same path, but in the opposite direction, is followed to unbraid the ribbons.

implements

The dantzaris hold the ribbons with the hand nearest the pole: the dantzaris located to the right of the pole hold the ribbon with the left hand and those located to the left with their right hand. When the set begins, the dantzariz set off with the single contradanza and the two dantzaris located at the front cross over to the right. When they meet the first dantzari from the second line, they cross over to the left and they all follow crossing to the right and to the left alternatively. While the dantzaris are crossing between each other, they have to hold the ribbons very tightly in their hands.