19 January 2012

Abballamu!!!

Abballamu. Lets dance! Yes, but not these dances that are known all over the world. I do not ask you to come to club. No! Instead on the street! I ask you to come to dance tarantella! Tarantella, you ask me? Yes excactly!
Tarantella is one typical dance and music form in South-Italy. It is represented in regions like Campania, Puglia, Sicily and as well in my beloved Calabria. 
Legend tells, that the name, the dance, is related to the spider bite. Bite of toxic spider tarantula. That is why this dance is reffered sometimes to a spider dance. Tarantism was spread over Taranto city, Puglia, in 15th century until 17th century. Bitten ones were usually women. But not those aristrocratic, noble ones. Once bitten by a spider the person were called to be "tarantata", only cure for this were to gather around, sound unusual rythmic song and dance. As an instruments were used simple ones as tambourins, mandoline,guitar. Or in some villages lyra. They searched for a correct rythm, so "tarantata" would be cured. Every different rythm caused different movement. Once they have found the correct rythm, they were sure "tarantata" was cured.As it is a leggend, then there stay more stories than just one. Another story tells, that this unordinary rythm and dance was used as a cure for a women who were frustrated and stressed for subordinate lifestyle, falling into some kind of a trance. It lasted about three days. In these three days "tarantata" was in extra care. More attention. Which should have helped them cure from their depression and frustration.
Once tarantella was sounded and danced during every festival. For example harvesting or festa. It was danced on the squares of the villages, at homes, on the streets... Nowadays it is one dissappearing cultural phenomen. It's popularity was vanishing already in 1900.
Though it is represented in cultural festivals  as it is "Kaulonia Tarantella Festival".
How do dance tarantella? 
Dance form in every region, city and as well in village are different. One way is when dance two men and acting to have a fight between them. Legs move fast. Attack! Defense! Attack! 
Anothers stay in circle around them, clapping the hands for the rythm and doing a sound as one of them are hurted or blocked attack. 
In some villages they dance just in pairs. In another villages they acted a fight for a woman. 
In this case was represented too "mastru i ballu" dance master, who chose from the persons, who standed as a circle, the participants.
The phases of this dance are:
1)  People around make one circle around "mastru i ballu"
2) "Mastru i ballu" salutes musicians, do some dance steps
3) He chooses one participant and dances with him/her little bit time
4) "Mastru i ballu" chooses another person to dance, letting them to dance a little bit time,   staying inside the circle and continuing the steps.
5)  "Fora i primu," says him, if he wants that male participant goes.
 "Grazie signora (signorina)," if he wants female to leave.
6) Next he chooses another participant ... and so on...
Would you like to try to "abballari" tarantella? Some fascinating examples for you to watch.
Tarantella calabrese music you can listen as well on my list that is represented on the right side. 
Abballamu a tarantella!! Lets dance tarantella! Some videos for you to enjoy :




No comments:

Post a Comment