La sardane

One of the great things about blip is it makes me open my eyes. This decorative tiling depicting the traditional sardane dance in the square, the customary espadrilles worn and the village in the background sits above the entrance to the tourist office in the main square. I had never noticed it before!

At many festivals circles of people dancing the sardane can be seen. It is Catalonia's national dance and symbol of its national identity and independence and one which resembles no other French or Spanish dance.
Sardane dancers link hands with raised arms, forming circles which grow bigger and bigger as more people join in. Traditionally, couples can join in at any point, but cannot cut in between a man and his partner on the right. When the circle gets too big, the dancers form more circles. People of all ages join hands and dance as if to emphasize that whatever their differences, they are first and foremost Catalans. The spirit of unity generated by the sardana is truly impressive. An extremely disciplined dance, the sardana calls for exact movements and expert timing, provided by a leader in each circle.
Personally I find it boring to watch and have to real desire to learn it. The steps and timing are anyway far too complicated!