The Iturburua association works in the construction of a resource space for traditional Basque dances and music. It starts from an analysis of the situation. For a year, Peio Labeyrie has travelled through the different associations and agents that, in one way or another, work with Basque dance and music, to analyze the number and type of activities they carry out.

Firstly, he recalled the origin of this project. The aim pursued by a single association has been altered in recent years, becoming more extensive. “The Herri Soinu partnership started its project to create a cultural center in Uztaritze about ten years ago. Finally, with the assembly of the Single Commonwealth of Iparralde, this project has changed. And the focus of this project was on the territorial pact 2015-2020: to create a structuring project for Basque music and dance.” Three associations emerged with the objectives of the same project: He was wearing Zuberoa Herri Soinu, Iparraldeko Dantzarien Biltzarra (IDB) and dance professor Johañe Etxebest. They've joined three.

In the next two years, it is a question of concretizing the way in which it is carried out. “Mention has been made, for example, of the need for a large archive. To show the peculiarities of our arts: their sense, their social dimension, and not just their artistic dimension. Another is how professionalization can help an amateur world. Most of us are amateurs, both in dance and music, and that's our strength. Other roads that we want to open up to people have also been mentioned today.”

A definition that helps them to compile the current situation. Over 8,000 people have counted dances and Basque musicians in Ipar Euskal Herria. “In these agents there are nine types: dance groups, music schools, txarangas, mutxikos learning associations, ritual organizers, associations that organize non-ritual cultural projects, dance companies and finally, federations and institutions such as EKE or Sü Azia.” In the music section, for example, there are about 600 students who are learning traditional Basque music. They represent 15% of students studying music in Lapurdi, Baja Navarra and Zuberoa in general. Although they have given a broad definition to traditional music: “Of course, we have received traditional instruments like the Txistu, the Gaita, the Trikitixa, the Pandero and others like half, and then the hand accordion, the violin and the clarinet, which have been integrated into tradition for a hundred years or more. We believe that such a musician can become a traditional musician.” What you're sure is that seventeen music schools show traditional music. As so far no such report has been made, it is a question of following the evolution in this follow-up lesson.

What repertoire to transmit? How do we train teachers? Whether or not to develop a curriculum? These questions have to be answered. “The objective would be to define what we are, what our priorities are and, in that sense, to correct the official structures. From the point of view of training, let's say, to adapt to our peculiarities. For example, creating a special department in the conservatory as they do in the Landes.”

Labeyri has given another example of teaching for children. Since young people are the first tasting or "gathering" of music, with songs of fun they have realized that those from Euskal Herria have no place in case, except in the schools that have it. “All the methods found are French; therefore, children learn toy songs in French; we know that there are toy songs that can be taught in Basque; similar. How can we introduce this into pedagogy? Also, how do we work the ear from orality? Since music of this kind was traditionally taught.”

The need for bases in dance

Musical instruments and music from the Basque Country are already taught in music schools. It has been structured in a way that has been taught by its own people. As for dance, there is still some other option, the local, the crew or the crew. “Dance and music have differentiated by introducing traditional music into conservatories and into formal teaching. Traditional music has had the pleasure of going into professional teaching with qualified professors,” says Labeyri. “The Basque dance has not had that, and we have been as we are.” In this section, the Iturburu bearer sees it as a necessity, as there are many types of pedagogy when it comes to teaching dance. “Many pedagogies have their value and we don’t want to go and say: ‘That’s right and you have to do it’, but we want to help the person who is doing it. Asking what you need and what we can collaborate on.”

However, he sees the need to speak of a common pedagogy. Giving an example of a dance step, he points out: “Different methods of production of interchangers. Each people has its own particularity in a few steps. It is very important for us to retain this, but what is important: for the child to learn this particularity or the technique of learning? We want to propose a place to discuss it and find a common solution.”

On the other hand, the Casa de Danzas y Música Vascas intends to be a tool to transmit that knowledge and that popular dance. To this end, one of the challenges is the concentration and dissemination of the collection work. “The goal is that everything that meets be accessible. We’ve realized that, on many occasions, people don’t know who to return to.”

They have also realized that the essence, the ambition and the ignorance about the origin is widespread. “But there are bases that need to be known: Where has the dance that we do come from? Why was it done? Boys and girls should know that the Aurresku we dance is called Salute, it is Gipuzkoan. Some say: ‘This is national dance!’ No, it’s not that, it’s become like this!”

In 2022 or, therefore, in 2023, they want to see the house of dance and Basque music or that resource space. “The goal is, yes, to find a site; or better yet, a lot of sites that would be organized online,” Peio Labeyri said.