The origins of thetarantella sorrentina
Sorrento has always been one of the capitals of the tarantella. The origins of the tarantella sorrentina, the traditional folk dance of Sorrento, are lost somewhere between myth and history: from the Sirens who enchanted Ulysses to the rituals against the bite of the tarantula, all the way to the dance of love that won over the festivities of the Peninsula in the 18th century.
Between mythand legend
According to a Sorrento legend, the Sirens used the movements of the tarantella to bewitch Ulysses, right in front of the rocks of our coastline. Others say the dance descends from the festivals held in honour of Dionysus, with their tamburelli (tambourines) and their processions.
These are only stories, but they tell us something true: here, music and dance have always been part of the landscape.
From tarantismto dance
Historical sources link the name to tarantism, a phenomenon found above all around Tarentum, the ancient city of Taranto, and along the Ionian coast. Anyone bitten by the tarantula sought a cure by dancing for hours to the rhythm of the tamburelli: a true exorcism set to music.
In the 18th century, around Naples, tarantism went into decline and lost its ritual meaning. What remained was the dance: lively, fast, danced in couples on festive occasions. This is how the tarantella as we know it was born.
The danceof love
In Naples and Sorrento the tarantella became the dance of love, passion and jealousy: a courtship in which the man invites, the woman yields and then holds back, while the tamburelli keep the beat.
It was danced at festivals, at weddings and on terraces overlooking the sea, accompanied by violin, guitar and mandolin, but above all by folk instruments: tamburelli and nacchere, our local tambourines and castanets. To find out how it differs from the Neapolitan tarantella, the pizzica and the tammurriata, read our blog article.
The masterTonino Ambrosino
Among the most important masters of Sorrento is Tonino Ambrosino, who devoted more than forty years to the tarantella, passing on to young people the original steps he had in turn learned from his forebears.
It is in rehearsals and gatherings with the group that the passion, expression and emotion this dance gives its audience are handed down. We carry on from there.
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