Valls is a city and municipality in the Camp de Tarragona region in Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, and according to the 2014 census it has a population of 24,570.
A castell is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in a part of Catalonia (Spain), now also found in the rest of Catalonia, in the Balearic islands and in the Valencian Community.
The Muixeranga ( ) is the collective name given to the performance of ancient street dances and human pyramids or castells, originating in the ancient Kingdom of Valencia, which are still preserved in the town of Algemesí, 30 km (19 mi) southwest from Valencia, and certain other Valencian towns.
Acrobalance is a floor-based acrobatic art that involves balances, lifts and creating shapes performed in pairs or groups. A performer on the ground doing the lifting and supporting in an acrobalance formation is often called the base, while a performer being lifted or tossed can be referred to as the flyer. Formats include male/female duo, trio, female/female, and other variations.
Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive discipline of gymnastics where partnerships of gymnasts work together and perform figures consisting of acrobatic moves, dance and tumbling, set to music. There are three types of routines; a 'balance' routine where the focus is on strength, poise and flexibility; a 'dynamic' routine which includes throws, somersaults and catches, and a 'combined' routine which includes elements from both balance and dynamic.
La Mercè is the annual festival of the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It has been an official city holiday since 1871, when the local government first organized a program of special activities to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, La Mare de Déu de la Mercè in Catalan. Although the actual feast day is September 24, the festivities begin a few days beforehand.
The Castellers de Vilafranca is a cultural and sporting association whose main objective is to build castells. It has the status of a public-interest association. The group was founded in 1948 in response to the increased interest in human tower building in Vilafranca del Penedès, a Catalan tradition that has evolved since the 18th century Ball de Valencians, a dance from Valencia.
Human tower is a performance variation of gymnastic formation. Together with the human pyramid, it is exhibited frequently at the climax of the performance. In gymnastics, human tower is the highest and largest mounting. On the shoulder of the components of the base layer, put the feet of components of the second floor. In the same way, the components of higher floors are accumulated. The mounting is performed in sitting postulate. After the conclusion of the mounting, the tower stands up from lower floor to upper ones.
The Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, created in 1996, are a colla castellera, based in Vila de Gràcia that makes human castles. They made their first public presentation in 1997 supported by the groups Castellers de Terrassa, the Castellers de Sants and the Castellers de Sant Andreu de la Barca. The colour of their shirts is navy blue.
Dahi Handi is an entertainment and competitive event associated with Krishna Janmashtami, the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna.
Gymnastic formation is a collective art based on gymnastics expressed by 30 to 5000 figurants using only human bodies without instruments. It is commonly presented in Japanese schools as a part of physical education curriculum. The expression of the collective beauty based on force, passion, and union of young men is much more important than the individual expression. It is a modality of mass game.
Human tower may refer to:
The Festivity of La Mare de Déu de la Salut is a festival celebrated in Algemesí (Valencia), Spain, from August 29 to September 8. The festival is in honour of the patron saint of Algemesí, La Mare de Déu de la Salut, and has been dated back to 1247. The holiday was awarded the UNESCO "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" designation on November 28, 2011.
Castellers of London (CoL) is a group of people with an interest in building human towers (castells), a Catalan tradition that dates back more than 200 years, who live in London, England. Many of the people involved in CoL are from Catalonia, but the group also includes people of many nationalities. The goal of CoL is to promote the tradition of castells in the London area by holding open rehearsals and organising special events, such as exhibitions.
Xiquets de Hangzhou is a Chinese castellers group in Deqing, about 40 km to the northwest of Hangzhou in East China.
The Castellers de Berga are a colla castellera, or human tower team, based in Berga with members from throughout El Berguedà and beyond. They were founded in 2012. Their shirt is navy blue. To date, the Castellers de Berga have achieved high-range seven-level constructions and on October 1, 2016, they achieved their first eight-level castell.
Xiquets Copenhagen is an international colla castellera in Copenhagen, Denmark with an interest in building and promoting human towers, a tradition originating in Catalonia and recognised as a UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The team is managed since its foundation by Natàlia Quero Prats, who is helped by a management committee and a technical team.
Món Casteller. The Human Tower Museum of Catalonia is a museum project that is being built in the city of Valls, capital of the Alt Camp and considered as the birthplace and zero point for human towers. MCC is a project promoted by of the Catalan Government's Department of Culture, the Tarragona County Council, Valls City Hall and the Coordinator of Catalan Human Tower Groups. The Catalan Government will preside the consortium and Valls City Hall will execute the museum and secretariat works.
