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Tomorrow, Oinkari dancers from Boise, Idaho will carry out the first ‘Oinkari Grams’ ever−a personalized and short Oinkari performance by request, at a previously selected place. Lael Uberuaga, spokesperson of the group, explained to EuskalKultura.com all the details and gave some tips to other Clubs that could be interested.

Boise, ID. “It’s a different kind of gift,” said Uberuaga. “It’s a moment to enjoy, to have fun, and to bring people together.” Oinkari-Grams are based on singing telegrams, so groups of around six dantzaris will visit those houses that requested a gram, in costumes, to perform a Basque dance and read a special note to the person receiving the present. The deadline to purchase this service was last Sunday, December 13, and all in all around 20 people requested a gram for 13 different houses. “For our first time I think we did pretty good,” stated Uberuaga.

This new program will not only spread “some Basque Holiday Cheer,” as Astero put it, it will also help Oinkari raise funds for their educational trip to Euskal Herria, in summer 2016. “We needed a fundraiser, but a small one that wouldn’t need months of preparation. So we thought of this. We also thought we could probably charge more, but since it’s the first year we wanted to keep it affordable, so anybody, like a teenager, to be able to purchase it.”

Prices were, in fact, very affordable. Their website offered two options: the Jota and Porrusalda, for $15; and the Zortziko for $20. There was also the option of donating ten extra dollars, and some people did it. The purchaser also writes a message for dancers to read to the person receiving the special present.

This year, Oinkari limited the service to the cities of Boise and Meridian and they expect it will take them no more than three hours to finish the route. “I think we’ll be between ten and fifteen minutes at each house,” said Lael, who will be one of the participants. The rest of the dancers will be Ben and Amaya Monasterio, Aisea and Andoni Odencrantz, Alaina Gavica, Toni Sabarots, Brenna Garro, Carmen Spencer, Dan and Ellen Ansotegui, Elise Overgaard, Emily and Laura Pape, Frances Tullis, Jaclyn Lasuen, Jasmine Mendiguren, Jill Kaltenecker, Johnny Boyd, Josu and Madalen Bieter, Michael Lejardi, Sadie Heartman, Teresa and Kristina Franzoia, Gav Shapiro, and Veronica Bolles.

Tips for other Clubs

Lael believes this is a very easily exportable idea for other Euskal Etxeas with dance groups, so she wanted to give some tips, in case some are interested in doing something similar. “It is important that the entire Club knows about it, not just the dancers, and try to encourage everyone,” she said. “Let people know that it is going to be an experienced gift, something different.” And on the practical side, the dancer recommends to use an online paying system, like PayPal or any other, because it is always more simple.