Sardana: Counting Short and Long Steps in the Circle

The sardana is the traditional dance of Catalonia: an open hand-held circle anyone can join, alternating short steps (curts) with arms down and long steps (llargs) with arms raised. The group has to count the bars together to switch at the same time, which makes it a real cooperation challenge.

How to play

1. Background and a circle holding hands at hip height: curts, two steps left and two right (5 min).
2. Llargs with arms raised to shoulder height, same pattern but more counts (5 min).
3. One student is the counter (repartidor): they count how many steps each section has and alert the circle before the switch (5 min).
4. Full sardana with curts and llargs, rotating the counter each section (6 min).
5. Several circles at once; they open up so someone can join, like in a town square (4 min).

Rules

• Arms down for curts and up for llargs, the whole circle together.
• Backpacks or jackets go in the center, just like in the square.
• Anyone can join by letting go of two hands and taking them again.
• If the circle falls out of sync, wait for the next step to switch together.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with visual impairments: neighbors signal the change with a hand squeeze.
• Students with limited mobility: join the circle in the wheelchair and mark curts and llargs with arms.
• Students who struggle with counting: carry a card with the pattern drawn on it and stand next to the counter.

Learning goals

• Keep a group in sync by counting bars.
• Take on the counter role and communicate clearly.
• Learn about a dance that symbolizes unity in Catalonia.

Equipment for a class of 25

• whiteboard or poster: 1
• speaker: 1

Teacher tip

Simplify the sections: in class it's enough to alternate blocks of curts and llargs called by the counter. If you have Catalan students, let them lead; they often know more than the teacher.

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