Italy calling Turkey for cultural exchange: MUSIC AND FOLK DANCE IN CALABRIA

Tarantella: An Italian Folk Dance

In Italian culture, the word “tarantella” evokes images of a frenzied spinning dance traditionally played at weddings. However, this popular native dance of Southern Italy has a history and myth spanning several centuries. The dance, originally an Italian folk dance of the lower- and middle-classes, has been labeled as a dance to cure sickness and as a dance of courtship. In the courtship version of the dance, the woman uses rapidity and liveliness to excite the love of her partner. In turn, the man tries to charm her with his agility, elegance and demonstrations of tenderness. The dance is one of unity and separation, which sees dancers flying into each other’s arms only to bound away again. It is considered unlucky to dance the Tarantella alone so it is often danced by couples or by two women.
The earliest historical mention of the Tarantella is the St. Vitus Dance in 1374. It’s not mentioned again until 1839, as the title of a ballet, “La Tarentule,” produced by Jean Coaralli. In 1844, Madame Michau introduced the dance to the public. Three possible sources of origin for the dance are given. The first originates with the bite of the Tarantula, Arania or Apulcian Spider. The dance itself was used to cure the poison from the bite of the spider. Town folks would play music and the afflicted person would dance non-stop to avoid succumbing to the poison.
The second origin lies in the religious story of the St. Vitus Dance, which is commonly referred to as the outbreak of dancing in the Middle Ages. The myth begins with the young people of Saxony dancing in the churchyard of St. Magnus. Fifteen youths and four girls were dancing and singing so loudly that they disturbed the priest. Angered, the priest prayed to God and St. Magnus to make the youth dance for a whole year. The outbreak of dancing went unexplained until the realization that the dancers had been bitten by the Tarantula Spider. The final possible origin for the dance is said to be in the villages of Toranto and Tarantum. Women working in the fields would use frenetic dancing when they were bitten by spiders in order to sweat the venom out through their pores. The Tarantella-type of dancing is not limited to just Italy. In Buzabatt, Persia, there is a Tarantella dance which is similar to the one found in Southern Italy. The Furlana or Fourlane found in Venice is also similar to the Tarantella although it is more irregular and brusque and danced mainly among gondoliers. The Saltarello in Rome and Venice also bear some semblance to the Tarantella.

Types of Tarantellas

Sorrentine Tarantella folk dance born in the eighteenth century, but according to some legends, his movements would be used to enchant Ulysses with the Sirens.

Montemarano Tarantella, Tarantella only upbeat, now rooted in the town of Montemarano especially during the carnival, a time-wide Irpinia especially in the upper and middle valley of the Heat.

Calabrese Tarantellawith variations ranging from the queen Viddanedda Pastoral Pollino

Salentine Tarantella said Pinch, with all its variations from area to area.

Tarantella del Gargano typical of Foggia Tarantella Abruzzese said Saltarello ballarella and with all variations from area to area.

Tammurriata Tarantella or so-called bell, traditionally, Ballu 'ncopp or drum

Sicilian Tarantella or u ballettu

Molise Tarantella known as ballarella

Lucan Tarantella

Cilento Trantella

Musical instruments

bagpipes. flute, tambourine, accordion, guitar, key, bottle these last two for tarantella played in Alto Jonio towns, Albidona and Trebisacce.

Tarantella Albidonese

Tarantella played in Albidona , birthplace of Pasquale , Michele, Francesco students of class 2 I that when they have to play tarantella folk dance give good performance with bagpipes, tamburin, accordion, a key and a bottle.

Almost all the guys who play a musical instruments learnt it from an early age by parents, grandparents or relatives playing instruments such as accordion, bagpipes, guitar, tambourine and as for our traditional dance, tarantella they even learn to use as instrument a glass bottle with a large key that goes back and forth horizontally, but is is difficult to explain , you have to see it.

While a typical instrument, but no longer in use, is the cup-cup made from pig skin and used during Carnival when they went from house to house looking for wine and salami. I and my cousins learnt how to play from parents and relatives.Our musical tradition is alive since the tarantella is a joyous time where the young and the adult play together . In Albidona old people passed on their musical skills and experience to sons and relatives . Here, if you know how to play you are also a good dancer of tarantella . This folk dance is performed differently from region to region (Sicily, Campania, Apulia) where to celebrate an important event or to relax people just take accordion, tamburin and a bottle and a key and start to play, sing a song and dance tarantella then a little break to drink a glass of good red wine and a piece of salami by the fire in winter or outside in summer. The music is so heartfelt in Albidona that few other towns have so many young men who can play easily complex instruments such as the bagpipes, the accordion.

Our traditional costumes are not so rich as those of Albanians but they are ok . We are affectionate to them some people still wear them. Serenades made for any occasion ( marriage, engagement, broken-heart ) were very common in the past and now they are made by young people who love music , love to sing, and want to maintain alive their traditions. Now they make CDs and people buy them.

Tarantella is played differenty from region to region and within the region from town to town with different instruments.

Tarantella calabrese- Albidona