The Centre Moral i Instructiu de Gràcia was founded in 1869 to promote the culture of recreation and sport, and the Esbart group was set up in 1972.

Initially, the dance group wanted to take advantage of the Centre's experience in folk activities, like the organising of sardana gatherings with the Cobla de Santa Creu d'Olorda band in 1913. That year traditional and popular dance became one of the Centre's activities, which was taken even further in 1961 with the creation of a folk section.

The group is organised into three sections, based on the age of its members. There is a children's section, a youth section and a dance corps, the adult dancers. Every year the youth and children's sections take part in the Rodes d'Esbarts Catalònia, dance days organised for these age groups.

At the end of the year, the Esbart del Centre Moral i Instructiu de Gràcia organises festivals and gatherings, including the Diada de l'Esbart in December, where they demonstrate their dances and the work they have done throughout the year. In March they hold a gathering of dance and folk groups, while in May the parents of the young members of the group get together for their annual festival.

The Esbart's demonstrations offer a repertoire of traditional dances, mainly from Catalonia and other Catalan-speaking lands, although it does included some from the rest of Spain and other countries. And, as well as these traditional and popular dances, the repertoire has been expanding with recent creations and choreographies.