World

How do you cure the venomous bite of a tarantula? By dancing! In Apulia, in southern Italy, ritual dances known as “pizzica tarantata” have been used since the late 14th century to treat the effects of a tarantula bite. Through ecstatic dancing to the point of trance, the venom was believed to be sweated out of the body. Whatever the scientific merits of the practice, it gave rise to the “tarantella” – a wonderful, exhilarating dance tradition. The group Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino has specialised in this musical form for more than 50 years, combining traditional and contemporary sounds with electrifying dance energy.

Programme

Tarantella from Apulia