Juan Ignacio Iztueta referred to this dance as Maquilla andiaquicoa (dance of the long sticks), and placed it in his list of dances after the Zortciko 40 murisca edo cabriolacoa (Zortziko of 40 jumps). Nowadays the makila handiena is danced with a zortziko first, followed by the moves with the sticks as a single, two-part dance.

In its structure the makila handiena is similar to other dances involving implements: there is an individual performance by the dance leader, a zortziko danced by the whole group and finally a set of moves in which the sticks are hit against one another. Like the moves in the brokel-makilena (buckler & stick dance) and the uztai txikiena (dance of the small bows), the makila handiena involves first a set of moves by the whole group, then moves by a central quartet and finally the whole group again.

See Brokel-dantza – General explanation