The Largest Sardana in History

On 22 July 1992, the FUS organised a huge Sardana dance simultaneously across 40 sites involving more than 35,000 people around Catalonia, Andorra and the Balearic Islands to welcome the Olympic Games to Barcelona. In addition, the five Olympic rings were reproduced by the dancers during the inaugural ceremony.

Sardanas at the Olympic Games

First conceived to coincide with the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the FUS has since organised sardana dances at every Olympic city (Atlanta 96, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) in order to give them an international profile. The dances are accompanied by other Catalan cultural activities, such as art exhibitions and concerts. The main objective of these events is to continue the work started in 1992 in establishing the sardana as the international dance of solidarity, peace and as a symbol of fraternal union amongst different countries.

Petition to UNESCO to secure the Sardana´s Cultural World Heritage status

The Sardana primarily belongs to the cultural heritage of Catalonia, but the values of peace, brotherhood and solidarity that it symbolises have a relevant significance for the entire Mediterranean area and indeed the whole of humanity. This idea has the support of all the Catalan municipalities and in the Catalan speaking areas of southern France and Andorra. The former General Director of UNESCO, Mr F Mayor Zaragoza agreed to become a member of the FUS Honour Committee and encouraged UNESCO to declare the sardana as a non-material world culture heritage.

Petition to International Olympic Committee that the Sardana is declared the official dance of the games

Another aim of the FUS is to establish the sardana as the official dance of the Olympic Games

Promoting Catalan Culture through the Sardana

One of the aims of the Fundació Universal de la Sardana is the staging of regular events using music and the Sardana dance to raise awareness of Catalan culture.

The Sardana embraces the world

On Sunday 20 June 1999, hundreds of Sardana dancers from all over the world took part in an act organised by the Federacio Sardanista de Catalunya, the Obra del Ballet Popular, the FUS and the ACCAT. The aim of the event was to secure the Sardana’s official UNESCO status as a symbol of world cultural heritage. The project received greatly-appreciated support from UNESCO’s Director General Sr. Federico Mayor Zaragoza, who sent a message extolling the virtues of the Sardana’s values as a symbol of peace around the world.

Exhibitions “The Artists and the Sardana”

Many historically-famous artists, writers and musicians have been enchanted by the values of the Sardana... Casals, Strauss, Stravinsky, Schweitzer, Thomas Mann, Monsalvatge, Picasso, Sert, Mir, Dalí, Miró, Casas, Tàpies... all of whom have embodied the ideals of the Sardana in their creative work.

Through its history, the FUS has used art exhibitions to depict the aspirations of the foundation, and since 1993, has put together a touring series of exhibitions featuring a selection of important Catalan artists’ works specifically commissioned for the occasion, along with reproductions of other artists’works painted previously. The wealth of diverse and influential styles led to great interest in this exhibition.

The exhibition entitled “Artists and the Sardana” has met with critical acclaim around the world in places including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, California, Mexico, Andorra, Perpignan, Barcelona, Girona, Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Puigcerdà, Canet, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Tarragona, Reus, Lleida.

We also published the book “Artists and the Sardana”, the most comprehensive art book to yet feature a Sardana theme.

For more details please click attachment in Pdf 1.89 MB 8+version