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The Oinkari Basque dancers have been on the road the entire month of July.  The first part of the month they were in Washington DC to participate in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and as soon as they were done there, they jumped on a place for the Basque Country.  The group visted Iurreta, returning the visit that they received from the mayor recently in Boise, and took advantage of being there to participate in a Basque dance workshop with the local Mikel Deuna Dantza Taldea. 

Donostia-San Sebastian.   The Oinkari Basque dancers from Boise, Idaho are in the Basque Country on a twelve-day tour, in hopes of learning new dances and encourage the youngest dancers.  As group sources told EuskalKultura.com, “We want to learn new dances and perfect the ones we know, as well as strengthen ties with groups here,” Teresa Franzoia, originally from Elko, NV, told us in Euskera.

Today they are at a workshop with the Andra Mari group in Galdakao, and tomorrow they will have a lesson with Patxi Laborde in the morning, followed by a talk with dantzari Oier Araolaza.  On Friday morning they will visit Gasteiz, and in the afternoon they will do their last performance of the tour in Galdakao.

On Saturday, the group will be in Donostia where they will watch the Arkaitz group from Añorga and on Sunday they will return home.

Visit to Iurreta

The trip began on July 7 with a visit to Lesaka, Nafarroa, where they delved into the San Fermin festivities and watched the Zubi-dantza live, where the dancers perform on a ledge on the edge of the river. 

The following day, the group traveled to Iurreta where they returned the visit that the mayor, Iñaki Totorikaguena, paid them in April, to celebrate the centennial of the arrival of Benito Ysursa from Iurreta to the US.  The Ysursa descendants continue to maintain the Basque culture and contribute very actively in the life of the Boise Basque community.

The group has also visited Oñati and Donostia where they had lessons with the Larrain Dantza Taldea and a kalejira/dance with the company of erraldoiak (giants), Irrintzi, who were at Jaialdi in Boise last year.  On Sunday the dancers were in Pamplona where they participated in a dance with the Ortzadar and Duguna dance groups that was followed by a performance by the Oinkaris.  Day before yesterday, the dancers were in Gernika, and took advantage of that day to get acquainted with the Urdaibai and Lekeitio areas.  Yesterday they had a Basque dance lesson directed by Oier Araolaza and Gari Otamendi.