About this Event
Description
Before the automobile, television, and the Internet, music and dance brought people in Italian mountain villages together. In winter they danced in the kitchen or in the barn, where the animals kept them warm; in summer, they danced in the piazza. Festa is the Italian term for these evening dance parties.
When Italian immigrants came to Vermont, they gathered in places like the Italian Socialist Labor Hall in Barre. But because they assimilated quickly, their music and dance disappeared locally. In this class, students will learn several traditional Italian dances that are still vastly popular today in the mountain villages of Italy. Although the dances are unique, they are also reminiscent of New England contradances, both in choreography and music. You'll learn basic, easy steps; choreographies and dances are shorter than a typical New England contradances.
We will demonstrate each dance and then teach you the steps before we dance to recorded and live music. We’ll also include cultural context for each dance.
Professor(s) or Facilitator(s): Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco, italianvillagedance.com
Celest and Marie, musicians, dancers, and teachers with a lifetime interest in their Italian cultural heritage have been teaching, performing, and producing dance-related events in Vermont since 2007. Their teaching focuses on understanding the context and supporting culture for the dance and music, and how it can enrich communities by bringing together people of all ages to sing, dance, laugh, and learn together. They’ve studied with Italian ethnomusicologists in Italy and lived with the villagers to learn the traditional music and dances that have been practiced by those mountain villagers for hundreds of years. They have taught these dances throughout the US and Canada, in 26 states and more than 50 cities, since 1984.
Session Type: Class / Meet-up
Restrictions or Requirements: Kids under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Materials or Prep: None
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About Bethel University - Vermont
Bethel University Vermont (BU) is a free community pop-up university based in Bethel, Vermont, created by the . We offer free classes and meet-ups by the community, for the community, during the month of March each year. Learn more about Bethel University and check out more free class and event listings at .
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Bethel Town Hall, 318 N. Main Street, Bethel, United States
USD 0.00
