Ball Pagès: Ibiza's traditional dance

Written on : 06 September 2019
By : Melchior Burin des Roziers

In the midst of a vibrant tourist-focused environment, Ibiza's inhabitants have preserved some of the traditions of the white island. At the heart of Ibiza's identity is local folklore, and when it comes to folklore, dance is also at the heart of it. Let's discover together the Ball Pagès, the traditional dance of ibicenco and ibicenca.

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The dance of the elders

In the same way that grandparents pass on popular songs to their grandchildren, the latter also inherit the ball pagès, the traditional dance of the Pityuse Islands, Ibiza and Formentera. The ball pagès evokes the island of yesteryear and is commonly performed on public holidays in church squares or in old communal wells. It is still danced to perpetuate the tradition and keep it alive.

The ball pagés is manifested through choreographies that repeat circular and figure eight movements. An ancestral practice, it underlines the importance of women in dance and highlights their costumes (some of which date back to the 18th century) and their magnificent jewellery: the emprendades, in gold, silver and coral.

Men and children also join in the dance, to the sound of the island's traditional instruments: drum, flute, spasí and castanets (which are of considerable size, normally 15 cm long by 8 cm wide and 4 cm thick). During the ball pagès, the man invites the woman to dance with a big blow of castanets.

Where to see the pagès ball?

Immerse yourself in the rural Ibiza of yesteryear with one of these dance demonstrations:

Every Friday in summer at 9 pm at the bastion of Sant Pere (Dalt Vila).
Every Thursday in summer at 6pm in the courtyard of the church of Sant Miquel.
At each patronal feast in front of each village church.
On special occasions during the dances of the wells, held all summer long.

If you like folklore, you can attend the "Caramelles de Nadal" (Christmas Eve), the "Caramelles de Pasqua" (Easter) and other traditional music concerts in the island's churches.