At the 2016 Folklife Festival, I had the pleasure of seeing and meeting Aukeran, a Basque dance company from Donostia-San Sebastian that performs contemporary pieces inspired by traditional Basque styles. Although they uphold traditional elements throughout their choreography and costumes, they build upon those to innovate new, creative, contemporary dances.

While speaking with choreographer and founder Edu Murumendiaraz and two of the dancers, Garazi Egiguren Urkola and Ander Errasti, I learned how the group started, the public’s reactions to their blend of contemporary and traditional, and their experiences at the Festival. This unique dance troupe performed various shows and hosted several workshops throughout the Festival.

Producer and editor: Claudia Romano
Videography and photography: Paul Weiss, Caleb Hamilton, David Barnes, Joshua Davis, Albet Tong, David Herrranz, Lillian Schneyer, Ryan Shank, Claudia Romano, Alexis Ligon, Anne Saul

See a video of an Aukeran performance.

Claudia Romano is a video production intern for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and a student at Swarthmore College, where she studies anthropology.