The tarantella (tarentule, tarentella, tarantelle, tarentelle, tarantel) is a traditional dance 6/8 or 4/4 time characterised by the rapid whirling of couples. There are several local variations of this dance, including the Neapolitan, Sicilian, Apulian and Calabrese tarantellas. It is led by a central singer/speaker. A tarantella is also a song that can be played by instrumentalists. Sometimes the word used for the song is taranta ("tarantella" is in fact a diminutive dialectal form for "tarantula", a common kind of spider). jus like my ass For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The time signature, the fact that it is led by a caller, and several of the figures suggest that the tarantella may be related to contra dance. You may also be looking for a style of classical music called contredanse. ...

It is named after Taranto in southern Italy, and is popularly associated with the large local wolf spider or "tarantula" spider (Lycosa tarantula) whose bite was allegedly deadly and could be cured only by frenetic dancing (see tarantism). One variation of the legend said the dancer must dance the most joyous dance of her life or she would die, another says the dancer will go in to the most joyous dance of her life before she dies. In actual fact the spider's venom is not dangerous enough to cause any severe effects. The spiders, far from being aggressive, avoid human contact. Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... Diversity 104 genera, 2304 species Genera Adelocosa Alopecosa Arctosa Geolycosa Hogna Lycosa Pardosa Pirata Sosippus Trochosa many more The wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, so named because their method of hunting is to run down their prey. ... Diversity 111 families, 40,000 species Suborders Mesothelae Mygalomorphae Araneomorphae  See table of families Closeup image of a Wolf Spider Wikispecies has information related to: Spiders Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals that have two body segments, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ... Binomial name Lycosa tarantula (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Aranea tarantula Lycosa tarantula Lycosa rubiginosa Tarentula apuliae Tarentula rubiginosa Tarentula fasciiventris Wikispecies has information related to: Lycosa tarantula The Tarantula spider whose scientific name is Lycosa tarantula is a wolf spider from the area around a city in Italy now called Taranto... Tarantism is, allegedly, a deadly envenomation resulting from the bite of a kind of wolf spider called a tarantula (Lycosa_tarentula). ...

The tarantella can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and may have evolved from an even older dance. According to legend, an epidemic of tarantula poisonings spread through the town of Taranto. The victims (tarantata) were typically farm women or others whose daily life might reasonably bring them into contact with the kinds of spiders that run in the fields. These supposed victims of spider bites would dance while villagers played mandolins or tambourines. Various rhythms were used until one worked, vigorous dancing ensued, and eventually the tarantata was cured. Many people have suggested that the whole business was a deceit to evade religious proscriptions against dancing. Others state that it was a metaphor regarding female sexual desires and that by dancing frenetically these subsided and avoided problems in an era and area of Europe where sexual freedom wasn't particularly encouraged. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... A mandolin is a small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both. ... Köçek with tambourine c. ...

Regional variations on the tarantella abound, with the versions from Naples and Sicily probably the most widespread. This dance is a staple of some old-fashioned Southern Italian weddings. Naples (Italian: , Neapolitan: Nàpule, from Greek Νεάπολη < Νέα Πόλις Néa Pólis New City) Capital of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... Southern Italy, often referred to in Italian as the Mezzogiorno (a term first used in 19th century in comparison with French Midi ) encompasses six of the countrys 20 regions: Basilicata Campania Calabria Puglia Sicilia Sardinia Sicilia although it is geographically and administratively included in Insular Italy, it has a... Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ...

Despite some speculative accounts, there are no arachnids known to have hallucinogenic venom. Instances of dancing mania however, have been explained as ergot intoxication, or ergotism, known in the Middle Ages as "St. Anthony's Fire" which is caused by eating rye infected with Claviceps purpurea, a small fungus that contains toxic and psychoactive chemicals (alkaloids), including lysergic acid (used in modern times to synthesize LSD). Whether unusual psychological states caused by these or other agents were sometimes mistaken for the effects of spider bites is unknown. Dancing mania is the name given to a phenomenon that occurred mainly in mainland Europe from the 14th century through to the 17th century, in which groups of people would dance through the streets of towns or cities, sometimes foaming at the mouth or speaking in tongues, until they collapsed... Species About 50, including: Claviceps africanum Claviceps fusiformis Claviceps paspali Claviceps purpurea Ergot is the common name of a fungus in the genus Claviceps that is parasitic on certain grains and grasses. ... Ergotism is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, classically due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus which infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ergoline-based drugs. ... Ergotism is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, classically due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus which infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ergoline-based drugs. ... Species About 50, including: Claviceps africanum Claviceps fusiformis Claviceps paspali Claviceps purpurea Ergot is the common name of a fungus in the genus Claviceps. ... Lysergic acid, also known as D-lysergic acid and (+)-lysergic acid, is a precursor for a wide range of ergoline alkaloids that are produced by the ergot fungus and some plants. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ...

Dancing the tarantella alone was said to be unlucky, and thus it was always a couples dance, involving either a man and a woman, or two women. The tarantella is a circle dance, performed clockwise until the music in the set changes to become faster, after which everyone changes direction. This cycle occurs several times, eventually becoming so fast that it is very difficult to keep up with the beat. The music is generally led by a mandolin. Circle dance, is the most common name for a style of traditional dance usually done in a circle without partners to musical accompaniment. ... A mandolin is a small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both. ...

Instances in other settings and media

• The tarantella can be heard in the [1] Puma website.
• The tarantella's themes can be heard as a background music in some Italian restaurants.
• It has appeared in feature films such as The Godfather. In The Godfather II, Frankie Pentangeli tries to get the wedding band (who are not Italian) to play a tarantella. They end up playing "Pop Goes the Weasel" instead.
• A performance of the tarantella was central to the plot of Henrik Ibsen's A Dolls House.
• David Popper wrote a piece called "Tarantella" Opus 33 written in 6/8 time with rapid moving notes and graceful yet quick double stops and arpeggios.
• The final movement of Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 3 in D, D 200, although not explicitly called so, is a tarantella.
• Franz Liszt composed a piece called "Tarantella, Venezia e Napoli" (No. 3 from Les Années de Pèlerinage, 2nd Year: Italy), which is in a rapid tempo also in 6/8 time, although nowadays it is commonly misprinted as being in 2/4 time.
• Frédéric Chopin wrote a piece called "Tarentelle" (Opus 43), which has not only the characteristic 6/8 time signature, but also a very frantic and frenzied arpeggiated left hand part, representing the spinning nature of the dance.
• Leopold Godowsky transcribed Chopin's Op. 10 no. 5 into an extremely challenging tarentella for the piano.
• Sergei Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos, Op. 17, features an extremely challenging and ferocious Tarantella for its finale.
• Gioacchino Rossini's song "La Danza" is a Neapolitan tarantella.
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Capriccio Italien" ends in a frenzied variation of a tarantella.
• "Tarantella" is the title of a well-known poem by Hilaire Belloc.
• "Tarantallegra" is a jinx in Harry Potter books which causes the opponent's legs to move rapidly and uncontrollably, hinting that the incantation of this jinx might be based on the tarantella dance. This jinx is first introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in the Dueling Club scene. Incidentally, spiders also play a central part in the same book.
• In 1997 Avantgarde pianist Aki Takasi released her album called: Tarantella.
• Tom Waits mentions "tarantella" in his song, "Tango 'Till They're Sore", but in the context, it seems more likely that he is referring to a song rather than a dance. Interestingly, "Tango 'Till They're Sore" is in 6/8 time.
• The tarantella's theme can be heard in the Puppy Love Levels in Earthworm Jim 2.
• Featured in the 2004 AASCA Music Festival in San Jose, Costa Rica.
• The 1996 Film "Pizzicata", written and directed by Edoardo Winspeare features the local songs, dances and traditions of Salento in Southern Italy.
• Stephen Heller composed various Tarantella pieces during his career.
• Claude Debussy wrote a piece called "Danse (Tarantelle styrienne)."

A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... The Godfather is a three-time Academy Award-winning 1972 crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Mario Puzo — Puzo and Coppola collaborated on the screenplay. ... Al Pacino as Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II The Godfather, Part II is the 1974 sequel to The Godfather. ... Frank Pentangeli (Frankie Five Angels) is a fictional character from the novel and film The Godfather Part II. In the film, he was portrayed by Michael V. Gazzo, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. ... Pop Goes The Weasel is a nursery rhyme which dates back to 17th-century England, and was spread across the Empire by colonists. ... Ibsen redirects here. ... There is a separate article about The Dolls House, the graphic novel collection of the comic book The Sandman. ... David Popper (December 9, 1843 - August 7, 1913) was an Austrian cellist. ... Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828) was an Austrian composer. ... Franz Liszt (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc; the surname is pronounced as the English word list, that is ) (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian [1] virtuoso pianist and composer of the Romantic period of German descent. ... Années de Pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage) are three suites by Franz Liszt for solo piano. ... The only known photograph of Frédéric Chopin, believed to have been taken in 1849 by Louis-Auguste Bisson. ... Leopold Godowsky (Leopold Godowski) (February 13, 1870–November 21, 1938) was a famed pianist, composer, and teacher. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Russian: , Sergej Vasil’evič Rachmaninov, 1 April 1873 (N.S.) or 20 March 1873 (O.S.) – 28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, one of the last great champions of the Romantic style of European classical music. ... Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)[1] was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ... Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильич Чайкoвский, Pëtr Il’ič ÄŒajkovskij;  )[1] (7 May [O.S. 25 April] 1840 – 6 November [O.S. 25 October] 1893), was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Photograph of Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (July 27, 1870–July 16, 1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. ... A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is: A sort of curse placed on a person that makes them prey to large numbers of minor misfortunes and other forms of bad luck; A person afflicted with a similar curse, who, while not directly subject to a series of misfortunes, seems... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling, is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. ... Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. ... Earthworm Jim 2 is a platform video game released in 1995. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Achille-Claude Debussy (IPA ) (August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918) was a French composer. ...

See also

• Contra dance
• Dancing mania
• Danse Macabre
• Ergot
• Tarantism

You may also be looking for a style of classical music called contredanse. ... Dancing mania is the name given to a phenomenon that occurred mainly in mainland Europe from the 14th century through to the 17th century, in which groups of people would dance through the streets of towns or cities, sometimes foaming at the mouth or speaking in tongues, until they collapsed... The Dance of Death (1493) by Michael Wolgemut, from the Liber chronicarum by Hartmann Schedel. ... Species About 50, including: Claviceps africanum Claviceps fusiformis Claviceps paspali Claviceps purpurea Ergot is the common name of a fungus in the genus Claviceps that is parasitic on certain grains and grasses. ... Tarantism is, allegedly, a deadly envenomation resulting from the bite of a kind of wolf spider called a tarantula (Lycosa_tarentula). ...

External Links

• Sicilian Culture: Tarantella Dance
• The tarantella dance!
• Dance the 'Viddaneddha'
• Tarantella, Tarantella