Gipuzkoako Dantza Maisuak

1. Gipuzkoako Dantza Maisuak San Francisco and Boise dance work-shop Iñaki Arregi

2. Background The past of Dantza Maisuak • The oral tradition. • Teaching among different towns. • An old pattern all over Europe. • Some examples: Gipuzkoa, Zuberoa, Bizkaia. • Dancer’s Groups and the last Masters.

3. The pattern A social mission • To train young people toward an adult society. • Their own pedagogical pattern. Pre-classic sources. • Social consideration. • Other practices: pilota, fencing.

4. The pattern The training path • A choreographic and gymnastic rule: • Physical strength and balance. • Ear for music. • Memory. • A social introduction: ritual dances, protocols, dance cycles, etc.

5. The pedagogical structure • Looking for a structure of the dances. • Three elements: • STEPS • SENTENCES • CHOREOGRAPHY

6. The pedagogical structure Steps • The steps and the alphabet. • Some examples: • Muriska • Lauarin • Laisterka • Zorrotzak • Deia • Laisterka jirakoa • Atzerako muriska • Lauarin berriztua • Muriska txingo-koak • Muriska jirakoa • Jira galdua

7. The pedagogical structure Sentences • The sentences on dance. • The beat and the measure of the sentence. • How to join music with dance steps: • The choreographic stress. • The musical stress. • Musical sentences: • Hasierako soinuak: beats of 4/4 and 6/8. • Zortzikoak: beats of 2/4 and 5/8.

8. The pedagogical structure The choreographies • About the free composition • With a constant measure. • With a irregular measure: soinu zaharrak. • Protocols, ceremonies & rituals: • Soka dantzak and Ezpata dantzak. • The cycle of Brokel dantza. • Other dances.

9. The academic profile A proposal • Comparing our tradition with other analogous in Europe. • Two profiles: • Prebosta: constant measures tunes and Saltokakoa (32 beats). • Dantza Maisu: soinu zaharrak, irregular measures tunes and Kuarentako Erregelak (424 beats)