Name: Italian Social Events - Tarantelle
Start: 2026-01-16T17:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-16T18:30:00-05:00
Location: Collina Italiana - Italian Language and Cultural Center

SPECIAL: Tarantelle – A Special Dance Event from the South of Italy
About this Event

“Tarantelle” music and dance is one of the most misunderstood and stereotyped elements of Italian culture.

A popular Neapolitan tune may come to mind as soon as you hear the word tarantella, often found in media like opera and film. But there’s much more to the story than that!

Together, we will take a look at the general scope of the “tarantelle” — the social pastoral dance lineages of Southern Italy, a broad category of independent dances from specific towns and regions.

We’ll focus on story telling and learning about the stories behind these dance traditions, with some opportunity to learn basic beats and steps for those who are interested. Everyone is welcome!

Meet Kate Causbie!

Kate’s connection to these dances comes from a path of seeking traditions that are alive in communities in Southern Italy — especially those from Puglia, the homeland of her grandmother’s family. This path has since led her all over Southern Italy. 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 2022, 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!