On the occasion of the 18th edition of Moncalvo in Danza, the Festival and Orsolina28 Art Foundation are pleased to bring multiple dance events to the heart of the town of Moncalvo.
Activities begin in the afternoon with an introductory workshop to the performance “Rituale delle Tarante” (Ritual of the Tarantulas).
“Tarante Rites” is a creation by Pompea Santoro and Apulian choreographer Nicola Simonetti, inspired by the traditional pizzica salentina. This ritual dance is used by women to symbolically free themselves from social constraints by pretending to have been bitten by the mythical “Taranta.”
The performance follows the symbolic journey of a spider-woman, moving between myth and reality, spirituality and rebellion. Referencing Ernesto de Martino’s anthropological work, the piece questions the contradictions of tradition and the influence of religious practices in Southern Italian culture, transforming the pizzica from a personal ritual into a collective act of healing and shared joy.
Artists
Artistic Direction: Pompea Santoro
Choreographer: Nicola Simonetti
Dancers: Beatrice Alberione, Oona Delaye, Gaia Triacca, Matilde Valente, Anna Antonello, Patricia Insa, Chiara Colombo, Sara Luisi, Leonardo Urgege, Samuel Sapuppo
Music: Paolo Bonvino, Popular Orchestra La Notte della Taranta, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino
Introduction to pizzica
Friday July 11 2025 - 5 - 6.30 p.m.
Orsolina28 Art Foundation
For a complete experience dedicated to the 'pizzica', Pompea Santoro and Nicola Simonetti offer a workshop introducing the evening performance.
Open to all, with no experience required, the class explores the history and steps of the “taranta” dance.
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