El ball de Malcasats 

Some years ago the Agrupació de Balls Populars wanted to revive one of the spoken dances that used to be performed in the city. Looking through the archives at old documents and references to this type of dance the Ball de Malcasats was chosen.

According to available information the dance had already appeared in 1860 and had disappeared before 1936. In 1959 a group of people played it for first and last time in the Festa Major of La Geltrú.

The Ball de Malcasats is a spoken dance, really a short theatrical play, performed in the streets or squares originally during the Festa Major.

The characters on one side are the officers of the law, and on the other ill-matched couples expose their problems and grievances in a funny and satirical way.

The dance involve more interpretation and dialogue than movement and for that reason it is difficult to perform in the parades of the Festa Major.

The satirical features of the dialogue and the funny way the characters are portrayed seemed ideally suited liven up the Saturday of Carnival and the dance has been transferred this date.

The revived Ball de Malcasats was first performed in Vilanova i la Geltrú on May 4th 2000.

The music is provided by “sac de gemecs” (Catalan bagpipes) and “flabiol” (a sort of tabor pipe). More instruments can be added, such as tarota (a deeper “gralla”), trombone, and others.