CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS & ALESSANDRA’s HEALING before surgery!

Experience the healing power of tarantella rhythms and dance featuring Southern Italian ritual dances used as music and dance therapy for centuries throughout the Mediterranean.

IN PERSON WORKSHOP

featuring Internationally renouned singer percussionist teacher Alessandra Belloni author of HEALING JOURNEYS WITH THE BALCK MADONNA with dancers Juliet Ravia & AMARA

Participants will learn the unique Southern Italian style of tambourine playing and the ancient healing trance dance of the tarantella, used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula. The workshop focuses on releasing blockages of energies, breaking the imaginary “spider web” of the subconscious.

Students shall begin each session with drumming followed by an hour and half of dance. Then they will learn the variations of the basic 6/8 rhythm of the Tarantella that originated as music and dance therapy to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula.

Alessandra will also teach chants and songs of devotion to the Black Madonna and to the Sun (Jesce Sole).

During these series of workshops, the participants will learn:

TAMBOURINE TECHNIQUE:

The basic technique of holding the drum, with emphasis on arm movement, wrist and elbow technique.
Basic accented fast 6/8 rhythm used for different style tarantellas, which involve different variations of hand technique including finger trills on the tambourine skin.

THE RITUAL DANCE:

Pizzica Tarantata, a very fast 6/8 rhythm from Puglia, with different accents, which originated as music therapy to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula. This wild rhythm, played mainly by women on medium size tambourines with a double row of jingles and the dance were performed as a musical exorcism to cure a mental disease called tarantismo, which afflicted mainly women (tarantate), who fell into a hypnotic state of mind, and in a trance they frantically danced for days during the Summer Solstice. Originally these were the ancient Greek rites for the God Dionysus as Puglia was part of Greece and was called Magna Grecia.

The purpose of this workshop is to introduce general audiences to a very rich tambourine and folk dance culture with an active current performance practice in Southern Italy and also to bring women back in touch with their lost drumming tradition.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: Email to: alessandrabelloni@gmail.com or blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

Participants need to have a tambourine or frame drum, at least 12 inches wide.

Alessandra’s own design is available for purchase, made in collaboration with REMO for the Southern Italian tambourine technique. http://www.alessandrabelloni.com/store

Alessandra may have drums for sale at the workshop.

**Please wear white clothing with red if possible**

$75 at the door and $65 in advance

You can pay by paypal: @blackmadonnacenter

blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

OR DIRECTLY TO Alessandra-

Venmo Alessandra Belloni or

Zelle Abelloni@aol.com

https://www.everbutton.com/pay/3750

PIZZICA TARANTATA  traditional healing trance dance used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula, a form of depression known as tarantismo