Muixeranga d'Elx at the Baia Association Day

The morning looked sunny and uplifting. We came with the momentum and good spirits from the very productive rehearsal the day before with Bruno, and the desire to build team spirit was palpable. In the group chat, the usual messages: "On our way", "Arriving", "Send the location!", "Do we have a stall?", "Yes, we're here"... In a steady trickle we kept arriving, some early, others cutting it a bit close, until we could gather at our little corner of the fair, outside the Baia social centre: the looks and ritual greetings: "Good morning!", "How's it going?", "Wow, what a neat stall!"... At last we were all there: the technical team and the master, our president, the colla's members, the kids... Around us the Cabuts were dancing, there was music, and countless non-profit associations run by countless committed people, all sharing the space of this fair.

Once most of the colla had arrived, we got to work. Some people set up the stall with our merchandise and our crafts workshop, a very engaging idea so that children and adults alike could cut, paint, and create their own paper Muixeranga. Next came wrapping the sashes... That collective, almost theatrical gesture becomes a solemn moment when we see it as a silent pact to look after one another.

In the moments before the performance, the ideal is to balance living the excitement of the present with active listening from the rational part of the brain, not always easy in an atmosphere as lively and full of stimuli as this one... But Toni doesn't give up: he gathers us in a circle and asks for attention. Today he goes over the order of the figures we will build and organises the positions each of us will take. Joan, in turn, helps place everyone in exactly the right spot. The sun shines on our faces, nerves are on edge, the square awaits us. Then the moment of truth arrives, and the colla responds with focus and the camaraderie that defines us.

That morning we managed to build three very representative figures, la Senieta, la Campana, and l'Aixecat, and showed teamwork and the whole group's commitment before the curious eyes of the audience surrounding us closely. To close the performance, we danced the traditional polka, a very special dance, because it lets us invite the audience to join in and see that people want to have a good time with us. It is lovely to watch people get moving while embracing popular culture from the inside.

All in all, the welcome from the Baia neighbourhood was fantastic; we felt their support and applause throughout. After a morning like this, we head home with happy hearts, the job well done, and plenty of motivation to keep going and help Muixeranga d'Elx grow.

Thank you very much, Baiajovens, for your invitation and the wonderful organisation of this association day. We hope we can do it all again next year!