Bakersfield Basque Festival 2009 from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

By John Ysursa One of the most recognizable male Basque dances, which has become popular this summer at Basque-American festivals, is the “banakoa” from the region of Durango in Bizkaia.

Dancing the Banakoa from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

Click on the video above to see a few of the many Jaialdi 2010 musical and dance performances Saturday July 31 at the Expo Idaho fairgrounds. More than a dozen music and dance groups from the United States and the Basque Country were on hand for the day-long celebration attended by thousands of people. The week-long Jaialdi festival concludes today [...]

They prepared for rain at the Fresno Basque Club festival. But in the end, the weather was great — and so was the party.

Long-time members of the Bay Area’s Basque community sometimes say that it seems just like yesterday when the San Francisco Basque Club was formed, back in 1960. The club has been celebrating its 50th anniversary in a big way this year, with several significant events. In March, the club celebrated with a Bertzolaritza — bringing together expert bertsolaris, including two [...]

Basque Folk Dance Extravaganza from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

Amuma Says No Rocks Basque Festival from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

This is one in a series of Euskal Kazeta reports leading up to Jaialdi 2010. Festival goers planning to attend the huge Jaialdi 2010 International Basque Festival that will be held in Boise in late July can now purchase tickets online for dance and cultural events. The tickets can be bought at idahotickets.com. The events for which tickets are available [...]

If you’re a Basque dancer from California, the Hartza group wants you. Dance director John Ysursa is forming the troupe to unite dancers from across the Golden State to perform at Basque festivals this summer, including the huge Jaialdi 2010 international bash in Boise. Hartza means bear in Euskera, the Basque language. It’s a perfect name for the new group, [...]