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.
“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: Gaia Triacca, Francesca Raballo, Jennifer Mauri, Cecilia Napoli, Chiara Colombo, Anna Antonello, Mia Saettini, Leonardo Urgese, Samuele Sapuppo
Music: Paolo Bonvino, Popular Orchestra La Notte della Taranta, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 7:30 p.m.
City of Moncalvo