Five Easy Tarantella Steps to Get Your Wedding Guests Dancing
At every wedding there is a moment when the music starts and half the guests stay in their seats, partly out of shyness, partly because "I can't dance". With the tarantella sorrentina, the traditional folk dance of Sorrento, that excuse does not last long. The basic steps are simple, they are danced in couples and in a circle, and a few minutes are enough to feel part of the party. Here are five steps chosen from the ones we teach, explained the way we would explain them to a guest who has never danced.
Before you start
Three things to know, and off you go:
- You don't need to be a dancer. Nobody is watching your feet: they are watching the couple, the smiles, the circle turning.
- Count to eight. Almost all the basic steps come in groups of eight beats. If you get lost, just pick it up again from the next "one".
- Follow the music, not perfection. The tarantella is in 6/8, with a skipping lilt. Let it carry you.
The five steps
1. The starting position. The couples come in one after another in a little parade and form a circle, the man next to the woman, facing the centre or each other. It is the simplest step and also the most important, because it gives the whole dance its shape. At a wedding it is perfect for gathering everyone: whoever is standing joins the circle, and whoever is sitting suddenly finds the party all around them.
2. The hops. On the spot, do eight small hops starting with the left foot, changing feet on every beat. There is no need to jump high: just lift your heels slightly off the floor, in time with the music. This is the step that gets the circle going, and even the shyest guests usually give it a try.
3. The traversè. Take eight small sideways steps to the right, with your right leg raised to knee height. The trick is to stay light on your supporting foot and not rush: short steps, back straight. When the whole circle moves to the right together, it looks wonderful even from the tables.
4. Heel and toe. One of the easiest steps to learn: tap your heel on the floor in front of you, then the toe of the same foot, and switch feet. You can do it on the spot, facing your partner, while your hands clap the beat or shake a tambourine.
5. The arm-in-arm turn. This is the one that makes everybody laugh. The two partners hook right arms at the elbow and turn together around the point where they meet, with small skipping steps. Then, if the music calls for it, swap arms and turn the other way. It works with your partner, with grandma, with the best man: this is when the circle turns into a real party.
Putting them together
An easy sequence to try with your guests: parade in and form the circle, eight hops, eight traversè steps, a few heel-and-toes facing your partner, then the arm-in-arm turn. Start again from the hops. Meanwhile, anyone who prefers to stay at the edge of the circle can keep time with the tambourines and castanets our dancers always bring along to get guests involved.
The full tarantella has other steps too, such as the rondeau, the strisciante (a sliding step), side openings, shoulder to shoulder, foot stamps and resting steps. You will find them on the dance page. But to fill a dance floor with wedding guests, these five are more than enough.
Learn them live
Reading about the steps helps, but the tarantella is really learnt by watching someone dance it and trying straight after. If you would like to practise before the wedding, perhaps with your witnesses or your family, our tarantella experiences include basic step lessons for adults and children.
And on the day itself, the Sorrento Folk tarantella dancers take care of everything: they can welcome your guests, accompany your entrance, liven up dinner or the cake cutting, and pull everyone into the circle. You will find every option on the tarantella at your wedding page, and to check a date you can write to Daniela through the quote request page.
