Tradition and dance take over the streets of Castalla with the celebration of les Danses 2023
- The Castilian festival, declared an Intangible Asset of Local Importance, hosts rehearsals, dances and parades during the week
Tradition and dance are the protagonists in Castalla during the celebration of the ‘Danses 2023’. This Castalla festival has been declared an Intangible Asset of Local Relevance, and is a genuine example of the town’s tradition. The Town Council and the Comisión de les Danses, in collaboration with El Sogall, have organised an extensive programme of activities throughout the week with rehearsals, dances and parades.
The mayor of Castalla, Jesús López Blanco, highlighted “the importance of the Danses for the heritage and culture of Castalla”. The mayor has defended these popular dances “as a sign of our identity, tradition and folklore, which is currently very much alive, uniting past and present, thanks to the great popular participation they have”. For the mayor, “a good example of this is the consideration of the Danses de Castalla as an Intangible Asset of Local Relevance”.
Throughout the week, the Committee has held rehearsals in different parts of the town to prepare for the celebration of the festival. Central Street, the placeta de l’Era dels Cavalls, the Convent roundabout and the placeta del Carreter have been the locations chosen for this activity.
In addition, the central part of the Danses takes place during the weekend. On Friday 22nd September, at 20:00, the parade and the collection of the Dansa Kings will start. Then, at 8:30 p.m., the dance takes place with the participation of the typical “carasses”. On Saturday 23rd September, at 19:00, the parade and the collection of the kings will take place again. At 20:00 hours, dance with the participation of the “carasses” and dances from the neighbouring towns of Tibi and Banyeres de Mariola. Finally, on Sunday 24th September, the festive events come to an end: at 19:00 hours, the third parade and collection of the Dansa kings. At 20:00 hours, the main event, with the “dansa amb rascat” and the participation of the kings and queens of the 40th anniversary of the recovery of “La Dansa”.
In this sense, the councillor for Culture, José Rico, invited “all the residents of Castalla to take part in this festival which is so much our own, La Dansa, which has great vitality and is an exponent of the culture and heritage of the Foia de Castalla”. The councillor also encouraged people from nearby towns to visit the town over the weekend to “make La Dansa de Castalla even bigger”.
