Zenbat Gara strives to authentically reproduce the clothing worn for our dances.  All garments and most accessories are hand made by members of the dance ensemble.  Each member contributes to the level of his or her ability.  In this way members have learned many other skills in addition to dancing. 

We believe that this type of involvement brings dancers closer to the authentic spirit of each dance and its cultural context.  This type of participation also creates an environment of auzolana, the traditional Basque concept of working together for the benefit of all. 

We work from bibliographic sources, video and photos, as well as our own fieldwork. We are also especially grateful to Ikerfolk and particularly Ane Albisu for providing us with invaluable information we have used to fulfill our mission of authentically costuming our programs. 

Zenbat Gara at the Monument to the Basque Sheepherder in Reno, Nevada

Here is a glimpse of our dancers working on wardrobe over the years: