This talk examines the relation of moving bodies and urban spatial developments through the Catalonian movement practices of dancing Sardana, a circular dance with set steps, and building Castells, human towers several stories high. Both phenomena are of high cultural and political relevance and visibility in Catalonia today, but initiated as rural entertainment practices. My talk will firstly chart how theses bodies-in-formation moved from regional claims in rural settings to national identity practices-becoming in urban emplacements during the last century, and, in particular, the intra-action with city structures in establishing Sardana as the national dance of Catalonia. In the last few years, Castell-building has gained considerably in popular and media appreciation, is today practiced widely in Catalonia and abroad, and considered one of the most prominent expressions of Catalan identity. In the second part of my talk, I will explore the impact of Castell-building at the intersection of political values and urban spaces. Recently, Castells have been attaining previously unknown heights, and I will question the impact and significance of prioritising building upwards. I will show how attention to these moving bodies can help tell the stories behind socio-political change, and how identities are co-created at the intersection of urban spaces and political and economic interests.

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