Castalla will be the setting for the 16th ‘Aplec de les Danses dels pobles de la Serra Mariola’

• Ten towns will dance through the streets of the town on 11 June to keep alive the tradition and culture of popular dances

Castalla will host the celebration of the XVI ‘Aplec de les Danses dels pobles de la Serra Mariola’. The streets of the town will be the stage for this show hosted by the capital of the Foia, which was already going to be the venue in 2020, when the pandemic truncated the celebration of the meeting. On Saturday 11 June 2022, groups from ten towns will dance to keep the tradition and culture of popular dances alive.

The meeting is organised by the Town Council and the local Dance Commission, and will include the participation of the following towns: Alcoy, Agres, Banyeres de Mariola, Beneixama, Bocairent, Castalla, Cocentaina, Muro d’Alcoi, Penàguila and Planes. Castalla should have hosted the 2020 edition, which could not be held because of the pandemic.

The councillor for Culture, Saúl Mira, stressed the importance of holding this event in Castalla: “The Aplec de les Danses dels pobles de la Serra Mariola is a fundamental event in the popular culture of our area, which connects us directly with our cultural roots and helps us to keep alive the tradition we share”. In this sense, the Castellut councillor celebrated “that we can come together in our town as a venue, two years later, to celebrate again through our dances, in which we can observe the similarities and differences that make each of our towns unique”.

The events on Saturday 11 June will begin at 17:30 with a reception for the participating groups. This will be followed at 18:45 by the parade before the Aplec de Danses, which will begin at 19:15. Afterwards, at 22:00 the dinner will take place and, once it is over, those attending will be able to enjoy a popular feast. The itineraries of the parade and the meeting, as well as other useful information, can be consulted in the programme of the event.

For her part, the president of the Dance Commission, Teresa García, highlighted the festive nature of this event, “which aims to promote joy, brotherhood and peace between neighbouring towns through dance and dance, an example of the richness of Valencian culture and the identity of each town that allows us to get to know each other better”.