Even though the jorrai-dantza was sometimes performed as a part of the brokel-dantza during the 20th century, José Ignacio Izueta considered it to be  independent from the brokel-dantza cycle and it is true that its development was traditionally different to that of the brokel-dantza.

The jorrai-dantza can be performed by 8, 12 or 16 dantzaris, plus the leader. There is also a fifth person for each group of four dantzaris who is in charge of carrying the wineskin on his shoulders. The structure of this dance is very similar to that of other dances that are performed with the implements from the brokel-dantza. The leader carries a type of lance and the dantzaris hoes. First of all, the leader performs the zortziko, followed by the group, and after mimicking the gestures of movements of someone hoeing the ground with a hoe, the dantzaris perform the set banging the hoes together and then hitting the wineskins with them.

Iztueta refers to the jorrai-dantza at two points of the calendar of festivities. On the one hand, he says that this dance is performed at the end of the local festivities and, on the other hand, when listing the melodies that the txistularis should perform throughout the year, Iztueta explains that the jorrai dantzariena, i.e. the jorrai-dantza music, should be played on the Thursday of carnival.  The researchers, Juan Antonio Urbeltz and Angel Murua, coincide when they consider the jorrai-dantza as a carnival dance