The Moixiganges of Catalonia

The Moixiganges of Catalonia

How lately I will explain in more detail, the moixiganga of the Geltrú was recovered from, between other data, the choreographic scripts, the dresses, etc… of the moixigangues of the rest of the Catalan geography. After entering them with the definition of a concrete geographic area, will happen to describe them in brief one for one in order to show the similarities and differences that save with the moixiganga of Vilanova.

The Moixiganga of Sitges

The moixiganga of Sitges is interpreted by fifteen people that divide  in the following characters: the Crist, that is the central figure of all the dance; the four bastaixos, that are the attendants to bear the structure of the different figures, and the candelers (canelobres), that have for mission light with his atxes the different figures and are capitanejats for a guide to each side.

The Moixiganga of Vilafranca of the Penedès

The Moixiganga reached Vilafranca any year of the 18th century and went out from then on of shape very irregular. During the 20th century can consider  practically missing, until, the 1985, twenty-five vilafranquins decided to resurrect it and do it go back to go out, to the sound of the gralla, during the processions of Saint Fèlix.

In a principle to Vilafranca the moixiganga went to charge of the guild of bricklayers. From the 1884 irregularly was danced by two gangs (of farmers and of menestrals), fine before the 1900.

The numeral of components has not been fixed. At present they form it 25 people.

The data that have more ancient on the moixiganga vilafraquina is of the 1713, although also rotted to have arisen to the 1740. For last to finals of the S.XVIII, in an official document dated of the 1798 does  quotation of her no as a novelty but as a element already usual.

Go in the 1801 and the 1900 went out at least 55 blows of a way forces to regulate. To the S.XX appeared spontaneously. And, for the last time, it went out in the 1916.

The year 1985 was recovered, with many efforts since, how other dances, the moixiganga has many documents of the past that explain things referents to her.

The choreography has not been always the same, has gone evolving, especially between 1916 and the year of the recovery, since they do not preserve  witnesses written. Only photos and the memory of some grandparents.

The Moixiganga of Valls

As a the rest of populations the moixiganga vallenca also has suffered periods of disappearance and lacks of documentation.

The moixiganga vallenca the same that the one of Vilanova reproduces with gymnastic exercises the steps of Saint Week of the town and the altarpieces of his churches, under the name of mysteries.

The Moixiganga vallenca recovered  the February of the year 1991, desprès of 60 years of disappearance, in reason of the Parties Decennals of the Mother of God of the Candela. At the time of recovering it did not find  to anybody that could explain how was and the restoration goes to have to be base in the informations collected by Daniel Ventura and Solé, some Joan’s texts Amades and mainly for Pere’s  photos Catalan and Pic in which can see all the figures to the general essay of 1921 to Carme’s  Convent and the back performance to the square of the Wheat of Valleys.

The dress of this moixiganga, as we have been able to see in the photographies, changed each ten years. It used  the dress designed by the attempt of recovery of the year 1981 that served for the Dance of the First and that is inspired by the different dresses that know  and plays with the white and red colours of the flag of Valleys.

The Moixiganga of Valleys was danced by 14 or 16 dansaires and went out to the processions and tombs to the village. During the performances Decennals of the 1931  comptabilitzen seventeen exits in three days, more the tomb of the vigília. Also we know that it went out for the parties of the coronation of Isabel II the year 1833 and the 1936 in the International congress of Musicology, in Barcelona.

The clothing of the fifteen current dancers  composa of a hat and a dress formed by a vest and a short skirt of red colour, with ribets golden, below shirt, bombatxos and half white.

It commissions  of his conservation the Union Rings of the Flame and his exits limit  basically to the Greater Party of the vila that celebrates  for San Juan.

The Moxiganges of Tarragona

Tarragona counts with two gangs that practise two moixigangues different. One of them represents the Passion of Jesucrist how all those that treat in this work. The other moixiganga from the same gymnastic technicians achieves to represent the main square of the life of Saint Tecla, patrona of the town.

The Moixiganga of Reus

The capital of the Low Field recovered, during the Greater Party of San Pedro of the 2006, one of his dances spoken, the one of the moixiganga, no without controversial between the scholars of the local popular culture.

The recovered dance parateatral presented  in society the day of San Juan. The Coordinator of Dances of Reus knew that the moixiganga had danced  to Reus, but no had  of any musician neither score for bastir-ne a coreografiamínimament respectful with the history. For the volts of the 2003, but, found  some scores to Banyoles, property of an orchestra, between which there was the one of the moixiganga reusenca.

With this base, the coordinator conceptualised the dance, that stages the passion and death of Crist, whereas the execution of the dance goes to charge of a fortnight of boys and girls of the esplai Doing us Fellow. The moixiganga of Reus was supported by the one of the Vilanova and the Geltrú, in an act of that more moving that generated a big popular adhesion.

Moixiganga Of Barcelona

The Moixiganga of Barcelona is a gang moixiganguera of Barcelona presented the 2014. They realise a traditional dance accompanied of musician of gralles and drums.

The presentation did  to the Cathedral during the parties of Saint Eulàlia in February of 2014, with the apadrinament of the gangs moixigangueres of Vilafranca of the Penedès and of Valleys. The Moixiganga of Barcelona is the first grouping of the city commissioned to stage this dance, that represents some scenes of the passion of Crist through human figures. It is a demonstration tied to the dance of Valencian and to the castles.

The aim of the gang is to preserve the tradition of the dance and at the same time innovar with the aportació of new musicians and the creation of new figures. Precisely the group has an own melody, the «Moixiganga of Barcelona», composed by Jordi Fàbregas. Of another band, between more singularities, the dancers bring references gaudinianes to the vestimenta.

The figures of the Moixiganga of Barcelona are created to act mainly in cercaviles and processions out of doors, and feature of three blocks: the step of the cardboard, the one of the coixinet and the diverse steps of the passion. His venue of essay is the venue of the Castellers of Barcelona to the neighbourhood of The Clot of Barcelona.

Other Moixiganges

Have constancia of the existencia of other moixiganges in Catalonia, such as the one of Badalona and the one of Lleida of those that have little information.