Tarantelle:
Social Dances from the South of Italy
in
Newberg, Oregon
on
Saturday, October 24th
Embedded Files
Immense Cultural Diversity
We’ll deconstruct the idea of a singular or stereotypical “tarantella” and tune our ear to hear the qualities of different rhythm families as we learn and embody characteristics of their movements.
Profound Depth
Within any given dance name, there is an entire world of variation, nuance, and meaning. Far from a monolith, every region, town, and family has their own ways, and every person therein their own relationship.
To understand this reality, we’ll examine the pizzica pizzica up close, grounded in stories and oral tradition from Puglia.
Folk Dances Popolare Dances
We’ll look at the specification used in Italian language to refer to dances that are held within living traditions, and what the cultural reality that distinction itself represents. These dances are learned and danced as a factor of identity and human connection, using local codes filled with meaning, rather than choreography.
Modern Dynamics
We’ll take a look at the ripples of revival that have brought these dances to stages & studios, allowed them to become known outside of their immediate communities, and drawn people to their homelands for huge festivals. We’ll examine the complexity that this can add, considering many perspectives.
Above All, Humility
The songs and dances continue to exist because they are cared for deeply in their homes. They exist because of generations of pastoral communities who passed them on, as well as researchers and artists who have listened deeply. We will learn and dance with gratitude, and with awareness of our lens – and the space between seeking and living.
PROGRAM
Morning
We'll spend the morning in the dance studio immersing into rhythm and movement, encountering the vast geography of dance in Southern Italy, where dances are held as part of living traditions that carry identity and shared meaning. Deconstructing the idea of a singular or stereotypical “tarantella," we'll tune our ear to the qualities of different rhythm families to learn the dynamics and codes of dances from cultures in Puglia, Campania, and Calabria and dive more in depth into Puglia's Pizzica Pizzica.
Afternoon
The second half of the day, we'll meet in a beautiful classroom to circle back to some theory: anchoring the movements we've learned to maps, videos, and stories of lived realities and communities in Italy.
WHEN
Saturday, October 24
10am - 12:30pm
lunch break
2:30 - 5pm
WHERE
Chehalem Cultural Center*
415 E Sheridan St.
Newberg, OR
* Some marketing mistakenly labeled the location Chehalem Community Center, instead of Cultural Center. The address was listed correctly.
FACILITATOR
Kate Causbie is a photographer, writer, and teacher with a background in ecopsychology and somatics. She spends half the year in Southern Italy, originally based near the area of Puglia that her great grandparents came from, in pursuit of living music and dance traditions. Diving into a region where she at first knew nothing and no one, it was the following the path of dance that led her into community and connection.
She is focused on understanding the call towards these lineages that is experienced by many people whose ancestors left the lands of the Apennine peninsula. She works to build bridges between these living roots and diaspora communities, centering living local lineage and resisting commercialization or performance narratives — instead seeking older ways of creating together, in complex community.
Since 2024, she has led the organization of an international residency on oral music and dance tradition in Puglia, in collaboration with the town of Galatina and the artistic direction of Rosa Voto from the Melbourne School of Tarantella. The residency creates a critical opportunity for folks from outside of Italy to approach a cultural immersion and learn from local artists and community members who live this music and dance.
COST
Early Bird through August 31
Full Day: $100 (sliding scale $50-$150)
Morning Segment Only: $60 (sliding scale $30-$90)
Standard Registration
Full Day: $150 (sliding scale $100-$200)
Morning Segment Only: $80 (sliding scale $40-$120)
If cost is a barrier please reach out and we'll see what we can organize; within the limits of expenses and time being covered, we aim to not turn anyone away for lack of funds.
This is a grassroots event with travel and rental expenses involved, and your registration makes it happen! Refunds are available until August 31st minus an administrative/transaction fee of up to 15%.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse