Sardanas in the Born
OK, this will be a quick one. I’m trying to post occasional videos taken in my neighborhood.
Here you have a typical Catalan scene: a band playing and people dancing Sardanas. You can see this any weekend in front of the cathedral. But this was in the Born and I happened across it on the way home. It’s 60 steps from my front door (yes, I counted).
I don’t really like this music. Like living in Santa Fe and eating Southwest cuisine, I thought it was great at first but that quickly changed. I don’t enjoy the too-reedy quality of the sound and that it’s almost always identical. It’s also really long. But you may go ahead and enjoy it. Be my guest. I really like it when the first person does the initial piping and beats the tiny drum attached to his forearm near the elbow. The dancing starts a couple of minutes into the video. It’s cute.
The church in the background is Santa Maria del Mar, whose stained glass windows and gargoyles are about 4 meters from my balcony.
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June 20th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I love the way they make a big centerpiece of their bags. I wonder if there’s ever been a theft from the heap. I can imagine the all-purpose, multi-talented pickpocket Kharem, with his new con-man style, dancing a moment, then scooping up someone else’s items covered by his jacket. Terry, have you ever danced the sardanas?
June 20th, 2008 at 2:20 am
I love the way they make a big centerpiece of their bags. I wonder if there’s ever been a theft from the heap. I can imagine the all-purpose, multi-talented pickpocket Kharem, with his new con-man style, dancing a moment, then scooping up someone else’s items covered by his jacket. Terry, have you ever danced the sardanas?
June 20th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Wow. I’m really conflicted about this one.
On one hand, I do like the music. I don’t find it long, nor do I mind its repetitiveness; but then, I’m a sucker for ambient and minimalism. :-)
I really like how they get together and dance, and how most of them seem to really know the steps: there’s a graciousness to it all.
On the other hand, I’m really bewildered by my inability to find any relationship whatsoever between the rhythm of the music and the one of the dance. How can they dance in such sync, when they seem to disregard the music, except as a clue to switch from light steps to jumping and back from time to time?
I just don’t get it, but nonetheless find it all beautiful in a puzzling kind of way. :-)
June 20th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Wow. I’m really conflicted about this one.
On one hand, I do like the music. I don’t find it long, nor do I mind its repetitiveness; but then, I’m a sucker for ambient and minimalism. :-)
I really like how they get together and dance, and how most of them seem to really know the steps: there’s a graciousness to it all.
On the other hand, I’m really bewildered by my inability to find any relationship whatsoever between the rhythm of the music and the one of the dance. How can they dance in such sync, when they seem to disregard the music, except as a clue to switch from light steps to jumping and back from time to time?
I just don’t get it, but nonetheless find it all beautiful in a puzzling kind of way. :-)
June 20th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Do I look like I’ve ever danced the sardanas? I’m way too aloof and cool for that!
June 20th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Do I look like I’ve ever danced the sardanas? I’m way too aloof and cool for that!
July 16th, 2010 at 6:09 am
Efface rayure…
Free advice on How to Fix Scratched Window Glass….