OINKARI DANCE SCHOOL
Oinkari Basque Dance Group started organizing dance courses for children in September 1997 and since this date, these courses have been organized each year in the attic of the school Zubimusu Ikastola. The courses are for children between 3 and 15 years old and their objective is to make the traditional Basque dances the basis of the dance education of young people. In those courses they learn traditional dances like Fandango, Arin-arin, Agurra, San Juan dantza, Saltokakoa, Alpargata, Soinu Zaharrak, Sorgin dantza…
Some of the dancers of Oinkari take the responsibility for teaching what they have learned to the younger dancers, establishing a bond among all the groups. The way for all of them is the same, that’s why these courses are the basis of Oinkari. As many as 95% of the actual dancers of Oinkari come from these courses, where more than 200 children learn to dance every year.
The last step in the Oinkari Dance School is the young group. This group is formed by 70 teenagers (13-15 years old) and they follow the same rehearsal plan as the main group. Not only they practice traditional Basque dances, but also, they receive contemporary dance classes, for making the difference with the main group the smallest as possible. They also have created their own performances as “Ametsetan” or “Eskolatik plazara”.
The children who learn these dance courses take part in all the “dantzari txiki eguna” or “day of the little dancer” that are organized in the region. However, their most important performance is the one that is organized during the local festivity of Villabona. All dances that were learnt by the students during the course are shown in this performance.
Beyond all these performances, it should be pointed out that the “Dantzari eguna” or “day of the dancer” has become a very special day in the agenda. At the beginning of the spring, all the dancers of the town can take part in several activities that are organized during all the day together with their friends and families.
The children and young that take part in these dance groups are the future of Oinkari and at the same time the greatest motivation of Oinkari. Keep going!!
