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 When listing the dances included in the brokel-dantza, José Ignacio Iztueta put the zinta-dantza in last place. The zinta-dantzak are very common both in Basque folk culture and in the rest of the world.
The structure of the zinta-dantza that was danced within the brokel-dantza cycle is very similar to the rest of the dances with implements included in the cycle: individual performance of the leader, zortziko danced by the whole group and set performed with the implements. This structure is repeated twice in the version of the zinta-dantza that has been passed down to us. The first time it is performed looking forwards while the ribbons attached to the pole are braided. Then, with the group facing backwards, the leader’s zortziko, the group’s zortiko and the set are performed until the ribbons are completely unbraided.
This custom of repeating the same structure to one side and then to the other is repeated in some other traditional dances, for example in the jorrai-dantza (hoe dance) and in the uztai handiena (dance of the long arches). This structure is thought up with the square audience in mind as they used to stand in a circle around the group in the square. Nowadays, the audience usually stands at the front and on either side of the dance group, but it is unusual for them to also stand behind the dancers. Therefore, and in order to avoid discourteously dancing with their backs to the audience, this second part has been frequently shortened and nowadays, in general, the ribbons are immediately unbraided.
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