tarantella
A fast, whirling Southern Italian folk dance in 6/8 time.
In Depth
The tarantella is a fast, whirling dance from Southern Italy, performed in 6/8 time with a relentless, driving rhythm. According to legend, the dance originated as a cure for the bite of the tarantula spider — the frenzied motion was believed to sweat out the venom, though this is almost certainly folk mythology.
The tarantella builds in speed and intensity, creating an exhilarating, almost trance-like effect. It became a concert piece through composers like Liszt, Chopin, and Rossini, who wrote tarantellas that capture the dance's wild energy. Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony concludes with a movement in tarantella style. The dance remains a staple of Southern Italian folk celebrations, particularly weddings.
The legend that the tarantella cures spider bites may have been a cover story — some historians believe the frenzied dance was actually a socially acceptable outlet for women to express themselves in restrictive Southern Italian society.