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Learning The Sardana In The Town Square

During my semester studying abroad in London, my friends and I tried to visit as many different countries as possible. Our first trip led us to Barcelona, Spain.

We woke to our alarm clocks at 8am every day and headed out to the quiet streets of Barcelona, so clearly tourists in our deviation from the slow Spanish mornings. During the day we'd watch the streets swell with people as the city awoke and subside as everyone retreated home for Siesta. By this time we were always hungry and hunted for places that were still open while most of Barcelona was resting.

During these days we saw the work of Gaudi at Park Guell and La Pedrera, visited the famous Sagrada Familia, and hung out on la playa. At night we enjoyed the beauty of the Magic Fountain and feasted on paella and drank Sangria.

Although all of these things were memorable, the highlight of our trip was, undoubtedly, learning the Sardana in the town square.

Tipped off by a local, we knew that the townspeople danced the Sardana--the national dance of Catalunya--in the town square every Sunday. We made our way to the square and upon arrival were disappointed to see that nobody was dancing. We were sure we had missed it.

Then, a few moments later, it started up again. Men and women, most of them well into their golden years, joined hands in small circles and gracefully tapped their feet and moved around in the unison of the traditional Catalan dance. It was a beautiful sight, an expression of unity and a love of tradition.

Never one to sit by and watch, I stood behind a small group, mimicking their steps and trying to pick up the dance. An older man approached me, took my hand, and began to teach me the dance.

Soon, my friends joined in. There we were, hand-in-hand, dancing the national dance of Catalunya in the streets of Barcelona. I felt connected to the Catalan people, even though we didn't even speak the same language.

Though I've long forgotten the exact steps, I will always remember joining hands with the people of Spain and dancing the Sardana.