Aoute Douerie Folk Group was officially born on 4th January 2001 thanks to some people that wanted to promote traditions, costumes and lifestyle of their own country.
It is a “multi-town” group in that it puts together members from all the villages that belong to the same geographical area, once known as Escarton d’Oulx.

Each member wears his/her own clothes imitating the way of dressing of the village he/she comes from, because these clothes are not a uniform but they are witnesses of an age.

The male costume refers to two different historical moments.

1. The first one dates back to the 18^th century and is made of a white shirt with a velvet or satin ribbon, a waistcoat in lively colors, buttoned knee-breeches, white knee socks, a bowler hat and a morning coat.
   
2. The second costume started to be used when the railways were built and is made up of a white shirt with a black velvet or satin ribbon, a black waistcoat, long black trousers, a broad-brimmed hat, bigger than the first one, a more classical black jacket.
   

This outfit refers to the end of the 19th century and the fabric used to manufacture these clothes (said “RASA” in patois dialect) was woven in Cesana Torinese and sent to Biella to make it “brush” in order for the nap to come out. The fabric was then sent back to Cesana where it was made in bolts to be cut and manufactured.

The female dress hasn’t particularly changed. It is different only in the way of wearing the bonnet and the shawl. It is composed of a dark dress (usually black) buttoned up in the front, long up to the ankle, with a silk shawl and a pinafore that were the same color as the liturgical calendar on feast days: green on ordinary days, red on patronal or martyr festivals or on Pentecost, purple during Advent Lent, white for the brides, white or light blue on festivals dedicated to Virgin Mary.

Together with this dress they used to wear an embroidered white tulle bonnet (called CUEIFA in patois dialect).

On weekdays they used to wear cotton or wool shawls and pinafores, a “curnetta” on their heads, a very simple cotton headgear, tied up under the chin with a colored ribbon.

According to the village where they came from, under their dresses, they used to wear white long johns closed under the knee by a ribbon of the same color as the shawl or a white or colored petticoat, adorned with satin or velvet ribbons.

During its tours the group performs typical dances of Salbertrand, such as “filandole”, carnival in Salbertrand, the dance of Saint Catherine, Martina, the feast of the hay, and typical dances of Bardonecchia such as brandò, courenta of the young people, and other dances from Occitan areas like courentas, rigodoons, quadrilles, European dances, circassian circle, Scottish and chapelloise dances.

We alternate dances with cultural and poetic moments, poem readings and the presentation of a short parody in patois dialect.