For a true"ethnic" experience, a visit to Ceret to see the Sardanas is the real thing. This is a true example of Catalan culture and the music and dance dates back hundreds (if not a thousand) years. Its origins as a regional dance are hotly debated. Some claim it goes back to the 3rd century before the Celts and Romans while others agree that it has connections to the contrepas, a form of round dancing found in many folk dances of Europe. The dance is always performed in the round, hand-in-hand and can be composed of a mixture of ages, sexes, social classes, etc.
Performing dancers wear brightly colored costumes,performing specific and quite intricate steps to the engaging music. Steps are composed of long and short steps of varying difficulty. >When you see a group of "ordinary" people (those not attired in costumes) you will find a more "authentic" presentation of the Sardanas. If your feet start tapping and you feel like you just cant help joining in - that's fine...but there are a few basic rules of etiquette to keep in mind.
1) If the circle is composed of men and women, it cannot be entered by a "single". The person on your right is considered your partner and to break up 2 partners is quite rude. If you are joining alone, look for a circle of same sex partners and you will be quite welcome.
2) You need to be able to count to 33. Dance steps are fairly simple but follow in a pattern that requires counting to 33. But locals will be helpful. Look for a group that is laughing a lot and looking like they are having a good time!
The International festival lasts for 3 days in August, with renditions and versions of the traditional dance displayed in streets, arenas, anywhere there is a little room. The music is supplied by a musical group called a cobla and consists of woodwind and drum instruments. Along with the dancing, there is a huge outdoor market, bullfights and evening concerts held during the 3 day event.