Paloteo: Spanish Stick Dance in Two Rows

Paloteos, or stick dances, are danced at festivals in Aragon, Castile, Navarre and the Basque Country: dancers in two rows strike sticks together in set figures. The class works in groups of eight to learn basic strikes and build their own paloteo.

How to play

1. Background and solo strikes with a stick in each hand: tap your own sticks, tap the floor and sticks up, counting four (5 min).
2. Partners facing each other: tap right stick to right, left to left, then both at once (5 min).
3. Groups of eight in two rows of four: four-tap pattern with the partner opposite and a step forward (6 min).
4. Crossing figure: the rows pass through each other with a turn and tap with the diagonal partner (6 min).
5. Each group creates a 32-count paloteo with two figures and performs it (8 min).

Rules

• Tap sticks at chest height, never near the face.
• Firm but controlled taps: the wood makes the sound, no swinging hard.
• When crossing, sticks up and close to the body.
• If a stick drops, the group stops until it's picked up.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with visual impairments: sticks with reflective tape and a partner who says "now" before each tap.
• Students with limited mobility: rows travel less and taps happen at wheelchair height.
• Hesitant students: start with foam sticks or cut-up pool noodles.

Learning goals

• Coordinate strikes with a partner and the group.
• Create and perform a stick dance with two figures.
• Learn about a festival tradition from different parts of Spain.

Equipment for a class of 25

• short sticks: 32
• speaker: 1

Teacher tip

Broom handles cut to 40–50 cm, taped newspaper rolls or cut pool noodles all work. Common mistake: watching your own stick instead of your partner; tapping is easier when you watch the hands across from you.

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