Basque dance

The basic characteristics of Basque dance are seen in the choreography, historical and festive elements, and the universal traits of tradition, entertainment, tourism and especially religious-festive events.

Dantzari Dantza from Durangaldea (Biscay) is a well known cycle of dances where on the eve of the local feast day, it is the custom to set up the traditional San Juan or Donianeatxa oak tree (now usually a poplar).

The dancers, in a show of virility, very skillfully manoeuvre fighting weapons as part of the dance.

These dances, a combination of wild and sometimes a bit obscene body movements, have managed to remain alive over time in certain towns.

Mutxikoak is a popular dance of Basque Ancestors, which comes back stronger these days[citation needed], as if the tradition could never be forgotten.

The ezpatadantza and the makildantza ("stick dance") ends with the dancers raising one of them, lying as a fallen warrior, over their heads.

In Tolosa, on Midsummer Day, the Bordon-Dantza ("walking stick dance") is performed with the figures of the ezpatadantza; some[4] point its origins to the border fights in the Middle Ages, when the Castilian troops from Gipuzkoa won an important victory over the troops from Navarre at the Battle of Beotibar.