For the 100th
anniversary of the birth of the Basque sculpture Jorge Oteiza, a
tribute dance in front of one of his most famous designs--the
church of Arantzazu in Gipuzkoa--was performed in August 2008.
Jorge Oteiza
Enbil was born in 1908, and a century later his birth was marked
with a special tribute highlighted by a dance choreographed by
dance master Juan Antonio Urbeltz.
The
day appropriately was appropriately staged in front of the
Basilica of Arantzazu. Sixty years ago when the current
basilica church was built (this pilgrimage site dates back centuries) it
was adorned with Oteiza's stone sculptures that he called "Apostoluak."
Urbeltz took that as
inspiration to re-contextualize some traditional Basque dances.
Members
from the Basque Country dance groups Argia, Duguna
and Kezka performed the Soka-dantza of Gipuzkoa, and
Oņati's Oņatz
group performed their unique Korpus dantzak.
PHOTOS:
See Maitane Algarra's online collection of
photos
VIDEO:
Gipuzkoako Soka-dantza (flv) segment of the Apostoluen
Dantza (Jexux Larrea)
SOURCE:
www.dantzan.com/blogak/duguna/apostoluekin-dantzan (photos &
video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dciyo3k2-Ts&feature=related
 |
< Jorge
Oteiza Enbil
(October 21, 1908 April 9, 2003), was a Basque
sculptor, painter, designer and writer, who gained
renown for being one of the leading lights in Spanish
modern art.
Oteiza was born in Orio, Gipuzkoa but moved to South
America in 1935, just before the Spanish Civil War
(1936-39) and stayed there for 14 years. In 1951 a new
basilica was built at Arantzazu and Oteiza left his mark
with his 14 apostles on the faįade.
A believer in
"Basqueness"
in 1963 he published Quosque tandem!, an essay about the
aesthetics inherent to the Basque soul, based on Basque
prehistoric art and the Basque people's anthropological
roots. He died in Donostia (San Sebastian), in 2003. A
museum commemorating his works is in Alzuza, Nafarroa
where he lived since 1975. |
Garikoitz Otamendi. To
see the video of this dance click on
Gipuzkoako Soka-dantza (flv)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dciyo3k2-Ts&feature=related
|
Juan Antonio Urbeltz >
long-time director of the dance group "Argia" is both an
innovator and perpetuator. His early work concentrated on
bringing back and exhibiting the wide world of traditional
Basque folk dance.
After years of study, he has recently
embarked on the creation of new dances. One of his works
is Apostoluen Dantza. To take a look at his other
works click on Urbeltz. |
 |
Oteiza's Apostoluak (the
Apostles) stone sculptures on the Monastery church of Arantzazu
PHOTOS: See Maitane
Algarra's online collection of
photos
VIDEO:
Gipuzkoako Soka-dantza (flv) segment of the Apostoluen
Dantza (Jexux Larrea)
SOURCE:
www.dantzan.com/blogak/duguna/apostoluekin-dantzan (photos &
video)
A moment from the "Martxa" by
the Oņatz group of Oņati.
A moment from the "Banakoa" by
the Oņatz group of Oņati, which lies downhill a few miles.
"Arku dantza" by the group Oņatz.
The Sanctuary of Arantzazu>
(Arant-sah-sue) is a centuries-old
Franciscan sanctuary located in
Oņati, Gipuzkoa. A pre-eminent
landmark of popular belief. The
place benefits from the highland
silence and peaceful atmosphere of
the Aizkorri mountain range making
it then and now a popular
destination for pilgrims and
tourists. It's located in the site
where presumably Mary, the mother of
Jesus, appeared to the shepherd
Rodrigo de Balanzategui in 1468.
This manifestation was termed the
Virgin of Arantzazu (there are
numerous variations throughout the
Basque Country, e.g., Itziar, Begona).
Legend has it, the wooden figure of
the Virgin was in a thorn-bush, and
his exclamation "Arantzan zu?!"
(Thou, among the thorns?!) gave rise
to the name of the place. According
to the linguistic explanation, the
name stems from "arantza + zu",
'place abounding in hawthorn'.
Arantzazu can be found as a Basque female
name (e.g.,
Arantza, Arantzazu, Arantxa. The
place is also a starting point for
several mountains trails.
|
 |
In this moment of the Apostoluen
Dantza, the men assume the pose of Oteiza's
sculptured figures on the facade of the Arantzazu
basilica.
Though it
did not debut that day in Arantzazu, Urbeltz's vision
included the "Apostoluak" (based on those in
the Corpus Christi procession of Onati) coming to life. A year
later for the 2009 show of "Axuri beltza" it was
presented.
PHOTOS: See Maitane
Algarra's online collection of
photos
VIDEO:
Gipuzkoako Soka-dantza (flv) segment of the Apostoluen
Dantza (Jexux Larrea)
SOURCE:
www.dantzan.com/blogak/duguna/apostoluekin-dantzan (photos &
video)
