Arts and culture - The Rough Guide to Barcelona - page 327

DANCE
Barcelonaisverymuchacontemporarydancecity,withitsowndedicateddancevenue,Mer-
catdelesFlors,aswellasregularperformancesbyregional,nationalandinternationalartists
and companies at theatre venues like the TNC, Teatre Lliure and Institut del Teatre - the
latter, the city's theatre and dance school, has its own youth dance company, IT Dansa. Al-
though its home is indisputably Andalucia, flamenco also has deep roots in and around Bar-
celona, courtesy of its andaluz immigrants - unless you're looking for a showy night out, the
pricey, tourist-oriented tablaos (flamenco and dinner shows) are best passed up in favour of
the smaller clubs and restaurants that put on performances. If you're here at the end of April,
don't miss the wild flamenco shows and parties of the Feria de Abril de Catalunya, a ten-day
festival held down at the Fòrum site, and there are also two other flamenco festivals each
year, De Cajón in winter (Jan-March) and the old town's Festival de Flamenco in May.
THE SARDANA - DANCING WITH CATALANS
If you're intrigued by what looks like a mass dance flash mob outside the cathedral, La
Seu, chances are you've stumbled upon a performance of the Catalan national dance -
the sardana . Its origins are obscure, though similar folk dances in the Mediterranean date
back hundreds if not thousands of years. It was established in its present form during the
mid-nineteenth-century Renaixança (Renaissance), when Catalan arts and culture flour-
ished, and was so identified with expressions of national identity that public dancing of
sardanes was banned under the Franco regime. Sometimes mocked elsewhere in Spain,
Catalans claim it to be truly democratic - a circle-dance open to all, danced in ordinary
clothes (though some wear espadrilles) with no restriction in age or number. The dancers
join hands, heads held high, arms raised, and though it looks deceptively simple and sed-
ate it follows a precise pattern of steps, with shifts in pace and rhythm signalled by the
accompanying cobla (band) of brass and wind instruments. This features typically Catalan
instruments like the flabiol (a type of flute), and both tenor and soprano oboes, providing
the characteristic high-pitched music. A strict etiquette applies to prevent the circle being
broken in the wrong place, or a breakdown in the steps, and some of the more serious ad-
herents may not welcome an intrusion into their circle by well-meaning first-timers. But
usually visitors are encouraged to join the dance, especially at festival times, when the
sardana breaks out spontaneously in the city's squares and parks.
There are regular sardana dances held outside La Seu, in Plaça de la Seu ( Jaume I),
every Sunday at noon, plus every Saturday at 6pm from Easter until the end of November.
The Federació Sardanista de Catalunya ( fed.sardanista.cat ) also publishes a calendar
of dances and events on its website.