Stephenson:Neal:Quicksilver:185:Tarantella (Alan Sinder)

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This is Quicksilver's page describing the Tarantella

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Tarantella

A lively, whirling Neapolitan dance, in 6-8 time, which moves in whirling triplets; once thought to be a remedy for tarantism — A disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially prevalent in southern Italy from the 15th to the 17th century, so called from a popular notion of its being a remedy against the poisonous bite of the South European tarantula or wolf spider. Some derive its name from Taranto in Apulia. Also the music suited to such a dance composed in six-eight time for dancing the tarantella.

A Dance Craze
People would dance themselves into exhaustion

Just An Peasant Version of the Vienna Waltz?

Originally, the Tarantella (Pronounced As: târntel) was a legitimate Italian folk dance of lower to middle classes. The Tarantella has gone by many odd spellings such as Tarentule, Tarantel, Tarantella, and Tarentella. The name essentially means in English "Tarantula Spider (pronounced tranchl." ) In Buzabatt, (near Kashan, Persia), it was reported that a Tarantella dance existed just as in Sicily. If the spider specified as "Stellis" had poisoned anyone, they were advised to dance to the sound of music. The dance looks to be like a Flamenco and or Bolero. The Tarentella is a popular Wedding Dance song.

It was considered severely unlucky to dance the Tarantella alone, so it was danced as a couple or by two females (Goethe says three) which was probably due to the boredom of dancing alone. Love and pleasure are apparent throughout this dance. Each motion, each gesture, is made with the most voluptuous gracefulness. Animated by the accompanying mandolins, tambourines and castanets, the woman tries, by her rapidity and liveliness, to excite the love of her partner, who, in his turn, endeavors to charm her with his agility, elegance, and demonstrations of tenderness. The two dancers would unite, separate, return, fly into each other's arms, again bound away, and in their unlike gestures alternately express love, coquetry and inconstancy.
"Paracelsus" AKA Theophrastus
Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493-1541)
was a phony doctor who wrote about this dance in the 1500s.

History of the Dance

First mentioned as the St. Vitus dance in 1374. In medieval times, people from central/northern Europe (Germany, Latvia) celebrated the feast of Saint Vitus with the so-called Saint Vitus' Dance, though that term also has a meaning of a nervous disorder exhibited by trembling, Sydenham's chorea. Others say when bitten, the Tarantula spiders venom, would make the person uncontrollably move about as if dancing. In 1374 (or as early as 1021), an "Outbreak of Dancing in the Middle Ages" referred to as the St. Vitus Dance that went unexplained until the realization that these dancers had been bitten by the Tarantula spider. (1374 - Aachen, Germany-dancing madness, lasting hours, believed due to the bite of the Tarantula Spider, also considered to be first dance marathon in history). The Religious story says (Nuremberg Chronicles - 1493); "young people of Saxony were dancing in the churchyard of St. Magnus: There were fifteen youths and four maidens and they danced so much and sang so loudly that they disturbed the priest, who was saying mass. He left the chapel and came out to them, asking them to desist; but, heedless of his injunction, they continued their sport. The priest then prayed to God and to St. Magnus to make them dance for a whole year as a punishment. The writer, says that a girl's arm came off in the hand of her partner, but she danced on; that they felt neither rain, nor cold, nor heat, nor hunger, thirst, or fatigue; their shoes and their clothes wore out, but they danced on. They trod down the ground to such an extent that they made a deep hole in it, but they danced on; and only at the end of a year did their release come. The rage became endemic, and in 1374, the number of sufferers from the St. Vitus dance became enormous. In France, it was called "Danse de St. Guy," and in Germany, it took the name of "Veith," In Lorraine, it was called "La Danse de St. Jean." as well as being named others such as Choromania, Tanplage and Dance of St. Modesti.

Ballets and Public Dances

Jean Coaralli, produced the ballet called "La Tarentule" in 1839. Madame Michau introduced the dance to the dancing public in 1844. It was said that: "to dance the Tarantella in ballroom circles, as they danced it at Naples would be impossible" and going on to say "Therefore, when Madame Michau introduced it in London in 1844, she made a selection of only about eight steps or figures, that had great mastery among the higher classes there." The Eight Step Tarantella 1. Three Gallop steps (Triple) to the right, and slide the left foot forward ( this to be repeated three times). The gentleman supports his lady on his right arm, without giving the left hand. 2. Three Gallop steps and slide the other foot forward in turning very rapidly, and repeated three times. 3. Ajetté in turning, fouetté, temps levé, and chassé ... four times. 4. Echappé, and eight Gallop steps in crossing the room obliquely, facing his partner and holding both of her hands, and return in the same way to their places. 5. Four Gallop steps without turning, four jettés in turning and remaining in the same place. 6. Eight glissades turning to the right and the same to the left. 7. Gallop steps steps forwards, slide the foot backwards, and at the same time turn short round rapidly (this three times) 8. The Compass step (done four times).

Tarantismus

The new American Encyclopedia (1870) gives the most reasonable version, which in conformity to truth. Quote … "It (the disease) was long supposed to be caused by the bite of a large spider called the " Arania Tarantula ." Nevertheless, just as scarcely, any of those afflicted with it, had any consciousness of having been bitten by a spider or any other insect. As it had been in every instance propagated mainly by physical contagion, like Chorea, Demonomania, and other kindred affections. There was every reason to believe its origin from a similar cause." Whatever its origin however, all authors agree that music and dancing was the established and almost universal in remedy.

Carlo Blasis wrote in the 1860s: "Claritio and Serrao, two Neapolitan physicians, have proved by various experiments, that all that has been said with regard to the bite of the Tarantella spider, is false. The terrible accounts given of it arise from ignorance and prejudice, and are propagated by quackery. Experimenting discovered that music was the only incentive sufficient to stimulate the unhappy sufferers to action. The music employed on these occasions was of the most lively and electrifying character of the violin, guitar, or dulcimer, (the castagnette is mentioned) and had the effect to cause them to dance and leap about until the profusion of perspiration drained the poison from their system.

Similar Dances

The Furlana or Fourlane of Venice was very similar to the Tarantella except it is executed "more ragged and irregular" and was much in vogue among the gondoliers. It is very lively, and its music is 6/8 time, played in a molto-allegretto style. It is called Fourlane because of its having been first danced in the Frioul . This dance is very similar to the Tarantella, but not quite so diversified. The Saltarello, which was danced very much in Rome and Venice, and which is not unlike the Tarantella."