- The study presented by Emakunde gathers the steps taken to promote equality in the dance of the dancers of Berriz, the alarming of the Bulls of Antzuola and the bordon-dantza of Tolosa. The organization has published the report “Strategies for the participation of women in the local festivities of the Basque Country” and the processes of change developed in nine localities have been observed. Researchers Margaret Bullen, Lidia Montesinos and Begoña Pecharroman have sought to identify strategies, recommendations and challenges to achieve more participative and equal parties.
Nine festivities or rites of the CAV have been analyzed, and in three of the cases the dances have a significant weight, specifically in Berriz, Antzuola and Tolosa. The study highlights the participatory process to achieve consensus in the participation of women in the Dantzari dantza de Berriz. In addition, the changes that have taken place in the scares of Mairua in Antzuola and San Juan in Tolosa have been collected, such as the incorporation of women into the dances.
Ballerina of Berriz
Dantzari dantza dances in Berriz during the festivities of San Pedro and Santa Isabel. For years a group of men of dantzaris has come to the plaza, but in 2014 a group of friends of the town raised the need to change the habit to the City Hall. As a result, the City began the participatory process to initiate the change together with two groups of local dances and the party commission. They reached an agreement in 2017: it was decided that dance would be maintained and that both men and women would dance, without distinction. Finally, in 2019, for the first time, a woman participated in the Dantzari Dantza de Berriz. The report highlights the involvement of the City Hall and the collaboration of the experts in the beginning of the participatory process, in which the Dantzan association served as a consultant with the City Council of Berriz.
Antzuola and Tolosa Alardes
In 2006, the Alarde del Moro de Antzuola showed its intention to give a push in the locality to update the alarde and adapt it to the current social context. At two years of age, the representation, dances and music of the Alarde was modified, with the aim of making the event more inclusive and sensitive to cultural and gender diversity. Among other things, the dance group Oinarin de Antzuola created a new choreography, a zortziko for girls, to make up for the fact that only the boys dances were dancing the trip dances. Although not included in the report, in 2016 women also started dancing the trolley dances.
In the San Juan de Tolosa they began admitting women to several companies from the 80's onwards, but until 2013 the bordon-dantzaris group has been composed exclusively of boys. That year, several girls participated in the procession, bordon-dantza and aurresku. It was the result of the internal work of the Udaberri dances group. They also had the collaboration of the City Council, which launched a broader process of reflection on the festivities.
Report: “Strategies for the participation of women in local festivities of the Basque Country” (PDF) (Emakunde, 2021-03)