Premiere: 14th June 1989
Arriaga Theatre, Bilbao
Music: P. Donosti
Choreography: V. Olaeta
A group of lamias (mythological monster with the body of a woman, supposed to suck the blood of children) is frolicking in a pond in Urbeltz, while a shepherd dreams that the sounds of his alboka (musical instrument) has brought them beside him. The most beautiful of them, who falls in love with the boy, magically turns into a human being. That love leads to a wedding which in turn leads to a whole series of typical sharp classical Basque dances.
Premiere: 20th June 2003
Palacio Euskalduna, Bilbao
Music: J. Arambarri
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Full moon in a clearing in the woods, during which the toads seem to take over at their pleasure. But the billy goat interrupts their games because he needs the clearing to celebrate his akelarre (coven). At this point a series of characters from Basque mythology appear, like the Dama de Amboto, witches and billy goats who dance their crazy moves without pause.
Premiere: 3rd August 1949
Principal Theatre, San Sebastián
Music: Traditional and Uruñuela Harmonisation
Choreography: V. Olaeta.
The minuet is a traditional French dance which passed into the court of Louis XIV, reaching greater prestige with Louis XV. In the 18th century the court dances had spread throughout Europe, and the Caballeritos de Azkoitia introduced them into the Basque Country with the same costumes and Ballet steps, but introducing Basque peculiarities.
Premiere: 28th July 1993
Portugalete
Music from J. Guridi
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Choreographed Ballet to commemorate the centenary of the Puente Colgante (Hanging Bridge).
It tells about the life of a Basque fishing port, with its work, joys and fiestas.
Premiere: 10th June 1953
Campos Elíseos Theatre, Bilbao
Music: J. Franco
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Representing the four seasons of the year in parallel to the four stages of life:
Spring is playful, unconcerned and happy.
Summer is strength and spirit.
Autumn is serenity, elegance and harmony with the age.
Winter is impregnated by the Basque sarcastic humour.
The end of the ballet is a happy arin arin.
Premiere: 29th May 1963
Arraiga Theatre, Bilbao
Music: S. Ruiz Jalón
Choreography: V. Olaeta
In the noche de San Juan (the shortest night of the year), the atalayero (lookout) of Matxitxako lights a bonfire to warn the fishermen. His wife goes to the hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, where she is going to fulfil a promise given in return for her son to be healed. Before going she sees a group of gypsies who she tries to send away without success. After his wife leaves, the lookout is invited to have some fun by the fishermen. Taking advantage of this distraction, the gypsies carry out a robbery but try to flee when they are discovered by the fishermen. When the wife of the lookout comes back she discovers three intruders which she sends packing. Her husband tries to make up with her, although at the beginning she rejects him, but in the end she forgives him.
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Premiere: 17th May 1962
Arriaga Theatre, Bilbao
Music: J. Olaizola
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Lorea, heir of an ancestral house, has been orphaned and lives with her uncle and guardian Jaunbelz. Lirain, servant in the house, is in love with Lorea, and she with him, but Jaunbelz is not in favour of this relationship, as he wants Lorea for himself.
Lirain dreams that he is a dantzari (dancer) who reaches Zorgiñeta, a legendary country, where a tournament is going to take place and where the winner will receive the hand of the queen, none other than his dearest Lorea. Zaldun, a diabolic figure, the incarnation of Jaunbeltz, arrives there and also wants to win the prize. Zorgiñeta is decked out for the event and the court turns up accompanied by the Queen of the fairies. Both characters challenge each other to a dual, which the Dantzaro wins, and Zaldun is shunned even by his supporters. The Dantzari approaches the Queen who orders a dance in his honour.
Premiere: 29th May 1957
Coliseo Albia Theatre, Bilbao
Music: J. Guridi
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Manu, Basque pelota player, after various years of absence during which he has triumphed in America, comes back full of glory to his fishing village coinciding with the patron saint’s day. When he arrives he finds that Usoa, his girlfriend, has another suitor, also a famous pelota player, but she still waits for Mikel. The two rivals decide to test their courage by challenging each other to a game of pelota. Mikel wins and the entire village celebrates the victory and they celebrate the fiesta of San Pedro with the traditional dance of the Kaixarranka.
Premiere 1st March 1961
Arriaga Theatre, Bilbao
Music: V. Zubizarreta
Choreography: V. Olaeta
The action takes place in a small Basque village still subject to the superstitions of witches and covens. Kardin, a young orphan who lives with her grandmother has three suitors (a fisherman, a shepherd and a soldier), and she thinks that she is in love with each of them…
Premiere: 4 de febrero de 1967.
Arriaga Theatre, Bilbao
Music from G. Pierne , Aya y Goñi, J. Franco, P. Donosti and J. Arambarri
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Homage to the elders in which the youngsters ask the older folk how they danced in their days, giving rise to a whole series of Basque scenes from blackbird hunting, to collecting water from the wells, the sokamuturra and scenes of sardine fishermen and women and the sinner who ruins the sale of the goods.
Premiere: 9th June 1964
Arriaga Theatre, Bilbao
Music: Jesús Arambarri
Choreography: V. Olaeta
Pimpilimpausa is in agony and after her death her husband, Aiko Maiko, is heard by the heavens to which he has offered his youth in return for his wife coming back to life. Pimpilimpausa comes back to life and the youth Odoloste appears on the scene and falls in love with her and she with him. At a trial Aiko Maiko recovers his youth and Pimpilimpausa suffers a slow death.
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