Location: Sitges near Barcelona, Catalonia
Date: 16 April 2017 – Easter
Local name: ‘Bal de Cintes’ = ‘ribbon dance’
Pole: Lightweight portable pole with several performers holding it upright.
Costume: Skirt and shawl with hair tied back in a single plait. Red sandals with straps crossing round to above the ankle.
Men: Black trousers, white shirt, red cummerbund, and Barretina
The costume is traditional Catalan.
Music: They dance to the singing of the Caramelliares, and there are references to the ribbon dance in the song. Bizet used the first tune in his L’Arlesienne Suite.
“On Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017, the middle Caramellaires group danced the “Ribbon Dance” and the senior Caramellaires sang the song.”
Caramellaires are the singers of Caramelles. They go from house to house singing in the mornings at Easter. In various places in this area it is called the Ball de Cintes, or the Ball de Gitanes. The groups perform in the main processions of the year – particularly those around Easter and most importantly the run up to Feast (saints day) Day of the main Church, then in the main procession on that day. They will also visit other towns in the run up to their feast days – so they can dance out quite often during the year.
There are lots of different plaits and each team has its own set of dances. They also create new dances.
Notation for dance in video:
Each ribbon is in a two hand hold, which gives good control of movements.
Starts with a ribbon sway (towards and then away from your partner).
Alternating plait
Ordinary plait
Ribbon sway (as before)
Undo the plaits in the same way they were made.
Skip in towards the pole and link hands. (while maintaining the two hand ribbon hold)
Circle 8 anti-clockwise, then 8 clockwise.
Bow facing inwards, while still in circle and holding ribbons.