Aretxabaleta is set to become a hub of dance once again, thanks to Jaiki Elkartea's tenth consecutive Dantza Astea (Dance Week). The event will span the entire week, featuring performances and shows in various public spaces. In case of adverse weather, events will be moved to the Karmele Igartua hall. The initiative aims to bring local dance groups and initiatives to the streets and introduce diverse dance styles from outside the region.

On Monday, at 5:15 PM, members of Jaiki Elkartea will join residents of GSR for a dance session in the Convent garden.

On Tuesday, at 6:45 PM in Mitarte, Catalan dancer Xavi González will present a hip-hop and jazz performance. Following this, the group Rebujito, featuring Gema Íñiguez, will perform sevillanas.

Wednesday the 27th's program begins at 5:30 PM, also in Mitarte, with a performance by the Euskal Dantzak group from the Basotxo retirees' association.

Next, a new addition this year, the San Sebastián-based company Bizikidantza will present an inclusive dance performance. "We had been trying to include inclusive dance in the Dantzastea programming for several years," stated Maier Etxebarria. This will be followed by a jazz performance from the dance group of Arrasate Musikal.

To round off the day, at 7:15 PM, there will be contemporary dance with the Galician duo Colectivo de Xeito and their piece '77.000'. Through this performance, the duo recounts the story of the Prestige disaster via dance, creating their own representation of the event. They also invite the audience to reflect on the fragility of our environment and the importance of collective action in emergencies, referencing the 'Nunca Mais' popular mobilization. The piece portrays the reality of the Galician people and commemorates those who aided the coast after the oil spill.

On Thursday the 28th, at Belorrieta, two euskal dantzak groups from Aretxabaleta will perform starting at 6:30 PM: the recently formed group Troska and the Leizarra Music and Dance School. Troska, which shares rehearsal space with the Jaiki association, was founded about two years ago by a group of young people with a background in dance. Various children's and adult groups from the music school will also participate.

On Friday the 29th, the event will take place on Mitarte street at 7:00 PM with a performance of urban dances by dancers from the Candem Town academy in Bergara.

Following this, the company of Natalia García Muro will perform a contemporary dance piece. It is a visually striking show featuring 7 dancers with a specially composed musical score.

Furthermore, the choreographer of this Bilbao-based company will lead a 4-hour workshop on Saturday the 30th in the morning, titled 'What Moves Us'. This will be an experimental workshop focused on movement and the exploration of individual dance. Registration is open via phone at 686 178719.

On Saturday afternoon, at Mitarte (7:30 PM), there will be a session of African dances, a style with which "we began our journey in Gozatu and later in Jaiki almost 25 years ago. It is therefore a return to our origins," emphasizes Maier Etxebarria. For this occasion, they have invited the Bilbao-based company Movisi Percusión, composed of dancers and musicians.

To conclude, at 8:00 PM, Anouar Merabet will present 'Kiki House of Annunaki'. This performance features Vogue fem, an underground dance style from the ballroom community. Anouar is a multidisciplinary artist and activist who identifies as decolonial, feminist, queer, and NB (non-binary), born in Morocco and based in the Basque Country. Their primary focus is for and with the racialized and LGBTQ+ community, though not exclusively.

The Dance Week program will conclude on Sunday the 31st with the Haur Dantzarien Eguna, or children's dancers' day, organized by the Leizarra Music School.