This "hand-dance" so called because the male and female dancers make gestures with their hands, originated in the town of Oskotz, in the valley of Imotz in Nafarroa.  It is difficult to know for sure when exactly, and the only thing known is that it was a danced in the summertime during the time of festivals.

There are many variations of this dance throughout Nafarroa, but in the 20th century and in particular after the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) most of them were dropped and mostly forgotten.

Then in the 1960s the dance group "Argia" under the direction of Juan Antonio Urbeltz, began efforts to recover these obscure or forgotten dances.  Imotz Esku dantza was one that was recovered, and it now usually concludes the Iribas Ingurutxoa.