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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.
DANCING WITH TWO LEFT FEET |
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It is very rare to see Italian folk dances in our groups. It is even rarer to see Italian folk dances in Italy, unless one is bitten by tarantula and does the Tarantella to get rid of the poison.
The question in my mind is: How come Italy, with its rich musical tradition, does not have any folk dancing?
Well I am sure they do. Actually, we are the ones who are not aware of all the dances that exist in that country. During our recent visit to Tuscany, we cracked open the window a bit to a small sample of local folklore. A friend of our daughter's, who lives in the small village of San Leolino di Bucine, nestled on one of the many Tuscan hills, invited us to the annual village "festa" honoring their patron saint.
SAN LEOLINO DI BUCINE
As we parked on the outskirts of the village, we could hear faint music coming from the center. Following the sound of the festive tune, we threaded our way through the narrow hamlet alleyways and came to a small square, with a big tree in the middle. Around the tree, several couples, dressed in bright peasant dress danced to the tune of an accordion and a tambourine. About a dozen dancers moved around the tree in coordinated patterns as they clapped their hands and exchanged partners. If it were not for the definitely Italian tune, I could've sworn I was in a Bavarian village. Did the Bavarians imitate the Italians or was it the other way around?
After the performance, I had an opportunity to chat with members of the group and found out that the group i Girasoli (The Sunflowers) was formed in 1999 and that they concentrate on simple Tuscan peasant dances learned from their great grandparents and grandparents. About eighteen dancers and musicians dressed in costumes pattern after old postcards performed the joyful and lively dances that reflected the feelings of the Tuscan countryside. They were amazed to find out that an American tourist not only was interested in their type of dancing, but danced folk dance as well.
Printed in Folk Dance Scene, "DANCING WITH TWO LEFT FEET (28), September 2007.