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Does tarantella mean tarantula?
Also known as “the dance of the spider,” the Tarantella is derived from the Italian word tarantola, meaning “tarantula.” The tarantola gets its name from the town of Taranto in Puglia, where the bite of the local wolf spider (the tarantula) was widely believed to be highly poisonous and led to a condition known as “ …
What is the Pizzica dance?
Pizzica (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpittsika]) is a popular Italian folk dance, originally from the Salento peninsula in Apulia and later spreading throughout the rest of Apulia and the regions of Calabria and eastern Basilicata.
What is Taranta in Italian?
1. A lively, whirling southern Italian dance in 6/8 time, once thought to be a remedy for tarantism. 2. The music for this dance. [Italian, after Taranto.]
Does Italy have a national dance?
The national dance of Italy is called “La Tarantella.” It’s a really fun dance, and you may even recognize the song.
What is Tarantella called in other parts of Italy?
Further, in southern Puglia, the local version of Tarantella is called “Pizzica”, and there are now three versions of Pizzica performed, in addition to the traditional Tarantata form: Pizzica of Love; Pizzica Pizzica; and Sword Pizzica. Others parts of southern Italy have their own variations, which Salvatore outlines in his interview.
Where did the tarantella dance come from?
However, through the centuries the Tarantella developed from a much shadier place and was oddly even used as a cure. Yes, read that again! The birthplace of the name of this dance is in the Puglia region in “Italy’s boot” in the Southern part of the country.
What is tarantella music and why is it popular?
Dating back centuries, likely with Greek influences from prior to the Roman empire, the music was originally used to heal sick people suffering from hysteric behaviors. Transforming over time, Tarantella music today has become a fashion, and a part of southern Italy’s pop-culture.
Why do they call it a tarantula?
The reason for this is due to the Wolf Spiders that are found in the town. Hence the term tarantola (tarantula) was coined. It was believed that the bite from this venomous spider was highly toxic and subsequently called tarantism. During the 15th to 17th centuries, the spider bites were rife apparently.