Sardana Free Software Download

Sardana is the control program initially developed at ALBA. Our mission statement: Produce a modular, high performance, robust, and generic user environment for control applications in large and small installations. Make Sardana the generic user environment distributed in the Tango project and the standard basis of collaborations in control. The origin of the Sardana name comes from a Catalan dance to honor the region where the ALBA synchrotron is build. Sardana is entirely built over Python, Qt and Tango. If you like the tools you will love Sardana.    (Download File)

While the date of the origins of this Spanish dance is unclear, as some people believe that the Sardana was already very popular as early as the 16th Century, what is clear is that it was popular in Empordá in the latter part of the 19th Century. The 19th Century saw the Sardana exploding in popularity, carrying it across the Catalan region. The Sardana became so famous that it came to stand for Catalan identity and nationalism after the 'Renaixença' (Renaissance) in Catalonia at the beginning of the 19th Century.
 While the date of the origins of this Spanish dance is unclear, as some people believe that the Sardana was already very popular as early as the 16th Century, what is clear is that it was popular in Empordá in the latter part of the 19th Century. The 19th Century saw the Sardana exploding in popularity, carrying it across the Catalan region. The Sardana became so famous that it came to stand for Catalan identity and nationalism after the 'Renaixença' (Renaissance) in Catalonia at the beginning of the 19th Century.


Like many other Spanish folk dances, the Sardana was choreographed, although this happened to the Sardana much later than other dances, in the late 19th Century. The resulting choreographed product contained slight differences to the original version of the Sardana from Empordá.

After the Spanish Civil War, and the arrival of the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, the Sardana, along with many other regional traditions, was banned for being a symbol of the Catalan identity and nationalism. In 2010 however, the Catalan government declared that the Sardana was worthy enough to be added to their list of Catalan festivities and made it a dance of national interest.

Download File



The Sardana is not a particular fast Spanish dance, compared to some of the other dances in Spain, and is therefore easy for newcomers to learn. It also means you do not have to be overly physically fit or a professional dancer to take part either!

Being a circle dance, the Sardana is very variable, especially in terms of the number of dancers. Often when a Sardana begins to be performed in a street or at a party, people come along and join in, hence the circle gets bigger and bigger. Normally, people in the circle alternate in gender, i.e. man, woman, man, woman.

Professional dancing troupes of Sardanas also exist and are called 'colles'. These organized groups tend to have their own costumes or outfits which are specific to their 'colla'. For example, the 'Colla Estol-Espígol', a group from Agramunt, to the West of Barcelona, wear white clothes with green saches, belts, gloves, trousers and shoes.



See the Downloads section for installer and a plain zip file.