Learning he tarantella was great fun! In April and May seventh and eighth-grade students in Mrs. Hoelzli's, Mrs. Reilly's and Mrs. Sorace's Italian classes had the unique opportunity to learn a southern Italian folkdance call the tarantella. Mr. Mazarese and the students in the High School Italian Club were invited to perform and teach the steps of this beautiful and traditional Italian dance to the middle school students.

It is a dance whose origin can be traced back to the Middle Ages. According to legend, the tarantella was thought to have been an early remedy for a tarantula bite. An epidemic of tarantula poisoning spread through the city of Taranto, in the region of Puglia in southern Italy. The victims (tarantata) were usually women who worked on the farms or whose daily life might bring them into contact with the kinds of spiders that run in the fields. These women would dance while villagers played mandolins and tambourines. They thought they could sweat the poison out of their system by dancing. Various rhythms were used until one worked. Vigorous dancing ensued, and eventually the tarantata was cured.

High School students were great dance teachers! Another version states that a woman who was depressed and frustrated with her subordinate lifestyle would fall into a trance that could only be cured by music and dancing. This normally lasted three days and during that time the tarantata would be the center of attention, which in turn would cure them of their frustrations and depression.

The most popular of the two legends is the one in which the person is bitten by the tarantula. This is why the tarantella is sometimes referred to as the dance of the spider.

There are regional variations on the tarantella. The most popular are those from Naples, Calabria and Sicily. The Italian Club taught students the Sicilian version of the tarantella.

The middle school Italian students were fortunate to experience a sampling of Italian culture this spring. The high school Italian Club students did a magnificent job in demonstrating and teaching this dance. An enriching and enjoyable afternoon was had by all.

Middle School students enjoyed the tarantella dance lessons.