The Naples “Tarantella” derives from the Apulia dance called “Taranta”.

The instruments used to produce this original music are:

- Wind, string and percussion instruments;

- Local popular instruments like the Puti-pu ( a terra-cotta pot covered by some drum skin characterized by a central hole. The player puts it under his left armpit while with his right arm he moves a stick up and down), the Scetavajasse (made up by two split reeds), and the Siscariello ( a sort of flute made up by a reed full of holes).

 

- Foreign instruments like the Triccabballacco

In general the fundamental instrument has always been the tambourine.

This dance is characterized by three basic steps: firstly the dancers are on their feet, secondly they fall down and finally the move on the ground. However there also are many other movements whose origins are still unknown.

The Tarantella songs are metaphorically focused on the erotic-sexual sphere that is always closely connected to wine.

Between the XVIII and theXIX century, many international artists and intellectuals came in the Sorrento Peninsula and described the Tarantella in their works. Among the most famous travellers it is possible to quote: Goethe, Iohn Ruskin, the De Goncourt brothers, Gustave Flaubert, Maxim Du Camp, Henrik Ibsen and David Herbert Lawrence.

The Tarantella was firstly danced only by girls playing a tambourine, then also guys started to take a part in this folkloristic dance that was performed by one or more couples. Dancers played castanets and tambourines being accompaigned by other musicians and by the audience.

Because of its important collective meaning,  the Tarantella was danced especially during particular events like the grape harvest and the local Patron Saints celebrations.

This dance begins with the sweet meeting between two lovers whose love is suddenly complicated by volubility, bad mood and by indignation.

At this point the woman is conscious of her guilt and so she calms and she confesses what she has done trying to keep her man humbling herself by bending a knee to the ground. After this, her man victoriously starts moving around her lovingly helping her to stand up.

However something opposite suddenly happens: this time it is the man who demonstrated his unfaithfulness and so the woman shows him all her despise forcing him to bend in turn his knee to the ground. After this she forgives him and they show with their dance full of happiness and enthusiasm that their love is fulfilled.

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