Since 1950, the Obra del Ballet Popular has been gathering together groups and organisations from the world of sardanes and traditional dance, with the aim of promoting and increasing awareness of traditional Catalan music and dance.

Although it first worked with esbarts, traditional Catalan dance groups, in 1955 it increased its scope to include the field of sardanes, and began to organise sardana training courses. In 1959, it inaugurated the dance meets known as the Jornades d'Estudis Sardanistes. A year later, the organisation established the Dia Universal de la Sardana, global sardana day, and the declaration of the Ciutat Pubilla de la Sardana, the city that would be home to the sardana. In 1966 they organised the first procession carrying La Flama de la Sardana, the sardana flame.

As a body, the Obra del Ballet Popular awards medals of merit for sardanes, music, civic spirit and popular Catalan dance. They also present prizes for continuity, dedication, teaching, communication in the media, private support for the initiative, publication of studies on sardanes, and musical releases.