The tarantella, the traditional dance of Calabria

Home/Blog & News/The tarantella, the traditional dance of Calabria

Come and dance in Calabria! Let yourself be seduced by the Calabrian tarantella

Tradition and folklore

Antonio Montelone

Cadenced skipping, skirt-wheeling and gestures simulating courtship or challenge: the Calabrian tarantella is the traditional regional dance that tells much more than it imagines.

The Calabrian taranta, rich in symbols and meanings, is also a moment of great collective fun at street festivals, especially in summer.

Festivals, courses and workshops are dedicated to this traditional dance throughout the year, including a focus on the sung Calabrian tarantella and other traditional accompanying instruments, such as the tambourine, lyre, chitarra battente and pipìta (or fischiòtta).

What are you waiting for? Come and dance in Calabria!

Origins of the Calabrian tarantella

What are the origins of the Calabrian tarantella and how does it differ from other traditional dances of southern Italy?

Firstly, from the choreutic-musical traditions it draws on, which are typical of a specific regional identity.

Although danced from the north to the south of the region, the traditional Calabrian tarantella takes on different nuances depending on the area: it ranges from the "free" Calabrian tarantella of the province of Catanzaro, to the so-called "sonu a ballu" of the Aspromonte, via the "zumparièddu" of Sila and the "viddanèdda" of Reggio Calabria. Furthermore, the Calabrian taranta can be either "fimminìna" or "masculìna" (the last one, for example, in the Vibo Valentia area was reserved for men only).

According to historical and ethno-anthropological studies, the traditional Calabrian tarantella (i.e. danced in single couples) originates from the ancient Greek dance, differing from both the Neapolitan (18th century) dance of Latin-medieval derivation, and the Salento "pizzica", associated with the phenomenon of tarantism (which in the pizzica is mimed in the form of convulsions induced by the bite of the tarantula, while the Calabrian tarantella implies a series of symbolic rituals).

Greek dance is an "earth dance", characterised by a gestural freedom devoid of codified movements. The centre of gravity is at belt height and the body always remains upright. Today's musical instruments in the traditional Calabrian tarantella also have their roots in ancient Magna Graecia, replacing, for example, the ancient aulos (flute) of the Italiots and the tympanon with string instruments and the accordion.

Kaulonia Tarantella Pride — Antonio Montelone

The dance of the traditional Calabrian tarantella is a couple dance (man-woman, man-man or woman-woman) that takes place within a circle of people called a "ròta" (wheel), to which the players belong. U mastru i ballu (dance master) is at the service of the dancers and players and decides the order in which the members of the ròta may enter the dance, in turns. The steps of the Calabrian taranta are based on triplets, with the arms assuming different positions for the man (courtship, challenge, fight, etc.) and for the woman (Greek giara symbol of fertility, on the hips, under the breast).

The towns of the tarantella in Calabria

Over the centuries, the Calabrian tarantella became a true "social rite", accompanying with its festive performance the important moments for the community (from religious and patronal festivals to private celebrations).

From the 20th century onwards, it gradually lost this function, which remained only in areas particularly linked to the symbolism of the "public dance": the valley of Sant'Agata del Bianco and Cardeto in Aspromonte, in many areas of Locride and in various towns in the Pollino area.

In these places, the traditional Calabrian tarantella is still practised, associated with collective symbolism: the "ròta" indicates belonging to the territory, conquest of space; the dance of a same-sex couple symbolises duelling, the challenge; of the opposite sex, courtship, the request for hand-holding.

The cities of the Calabrian tarantella stand alongside those that have now become major centres of folk festivals, unmissable destinations for those visiting Calabria in the summer, where fun is guaranteed!