There are legends that are read and legends that are lived. That of Sant Jordi, in Esplugues de Llobregat, belongs to the second category: for 22 years, the Esbart Vila d'Esplugues brings it to the stage every spring, turning it into one of the most unique traditional Catalan culture shows in the Barcelona metropolitan area. And so that the legend does not lose its charm, every two years the team starts from scratch: new script, new adventure, new characters. A huge effort that is measured in months of voluntary work, but which year after year fills Esplugues with families, neighbors and curious people.
The 22nd edition took place last Saturday, April 25, at the indoor track of Pou d'en Fèlix. Two sessions were held: the first, accessible, featured for the third consecutive year Catalan sign language interpretation and dispensed with pyrotechnics; the second, already in the late afternoon, offered the show in its complete version.
Under the direction of Sofia Rodríguez, who has co-written the script with Marta Saez, this year's edition presented a new adventure starring three young knights —Jordi, Bruna and Bernat— who must overcome various adventures before facing the dragon of the legend. The work combines theatrical scenes with traditional Catalan dance performances —a central element of the entity— and has a clearly humorous tone, with comical situations and caricaturesque characters.
The dance, a central element of any dance group, structures the show from beginning to end through choreographies signed by Alba Moreno, Marta Laiseca and Anna Osí, which alternate with the theatrical scenes to give shape to a hybrid show difficult to classify.
One of the constants of the show is the opening to other entities of the municipality. This year, the novelty has been the incorporation of the Guita Trapella, a new fire beast of the municipality, as a character of the work. In previous editions other entities had already participated such as the castellers or the colla gegantera, which usually carries or lends the Fal·lera, the dragon of Esplugues.
3D printing and voluntary craftsmanship
One of the singularities of this edition is the incorporation of elements manufactured entirely in 3D printing at the Esplulab, the digital fabrication laboratory of Esplugues de Llobregat. The person responsible for this work has been Mònica Aguilà, who last year discovered the Esbart as an extra and who this year has assumed a central role in the material production of the show.
Aguilà has designed and manufactured, among other pieces, the eye masks of the main characters for the masquerade ball scene —each one designed to reflect the personality of its wearer—, as well as large-format prop elements that have required printing by pieces and assembling manually, given the dimensional limitations of the printers. All in all, under an uninterrupted volunteer regime since the end of February.
