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Encouraged by the first experience last year, the group from the Basque Country “Uzturre Munduan” have been teaching dance workshops over the last few weeks in Argentina.  Two of these, sponsored by FEVA, took place in Bahia Blanca and Buenos Aires, and invited dantzaris from various Basque clubs.  The others took place in Mar del Plata and Maipu and were organized by their respective clubs. 

Buenos Aires, Argentina.   Representatives from “Uzturre Munduan,” Ander Herrero from the Gaztedi dance group in Bilbao, and Garazi Uriarte and Ainhoa Beitia, from Elai Alai in Portugalete were in charge of conducting the 2016 workshops that the group provided, for a second time, in Argentina.  The events, organized by FEVA took place at the Union Vasca Basque Club in Bahia Blanca and at Laurak Bat in Buenos Aires, inviting adult dancers from both dance groups.

The workshop in Bahia Blanca took place on September 10-11 and gathered dancers from General Acha, Viedma, Necochea, Rosario, Coronel Pringles as well as from the hosting club.  In all there were more than 20 dantzaris.  The one that took place in the capital took place on September 17-18, with more than 40 participants, with the instructors carrying out a similar program to that in Bahia Blanca. “At the workshops organized by FEVA dantzaris of different levels participated, from those who dance very well, along with those who were just starting.  That is why the session began with easier dances, so that the level of the dancer could be determined,” Garazi Uriarte, from Elai Alai in Portugalete told EuskalKultura.com.

Mar del Plata and Maipú

The Basque youth also visited clubs in Mar del Plata and Maipu, as well as teaching workshops in both music and dance, in this case organized by the local clubs and oriented to dantzaris of all ages.

Classes at Anaitasuna Basque Club in Maipu included the celebration of Immigrant Day in the program that allowed more coverage of the event by local media.

After their tour in Argentina, these youth from Bizkaia were very satisfied with how everything went, and also included that they would like to return next year.  “Everything went very well, the dances as well as on a personal level.  That is why we would like to especially thank the Basque clubs for welcoming us, as well as the dantzaris, and of course FEVA, since without their help it would have been very difficult to meet our goal,” they said.