Courtesy Photo
‘Tarantata’ offers
dance as therapy
■Three noted University-based
organizations are teaming up to
showcase a performance by
Italian dancer Alessandra Belloni
By Jen West
Oregon Daily Emerald
Today, dance is most commonly
used as a form of entertainment.
But since the time of the ancient
Greeks, many dances have inte
grated folklore for therapeutic use
or worship.
The International Resource Cen
ter, the Italian program and the Of
fice of International Programs pres
ent Italian dancer Alessandra
Belloni, who will perform the
“Tarantata Dance of the Ancient
Spider” at 7 p.m. today in the IRC.
The Tarantella is a dance of
“healing and purification for
women (called Tarantatas) who
have been bitten by the tarantula,”
Belloni said. The dances use hyp
notic rhythms created by the beat
ing of tambouric drums and cas
tanets, she said.
The ancient Greeks believed the
poison from a tarantula bite
would make the victim halluci
nate and go insane, Belloni said.
When the women claimed to have
been bitten by the spider, they
would fall into a frenzied, trance
like state, she said. The dance
helped eradicate the spider’s poi
son from their bodies.
“The dance has the power to
bring back balance,” Belloni said.
Turn to Tarantella, page 12
istance
1417 Villard — 2 Blocks East Of Campus
541.338.0334
UO School of Music World Music Series presents
0B0 ADDY and Ohropong
riiisic & Dance of Ghana
The sensational OBO ADDY, performing with
OKROPONG, a traditional African ensemble
that performs music and dance of Ghana’s
ethnic groups, using various hand and stick
drums, talking drums, bells, and shakers.
Friday, April 26
8:00 p.m.
BEALL CONCERT HALL
$10 General Admission, $8 students / seniors,
available at the door. For info, call 346-2852.
WmWSM
NIGHT
DJ Dynamite
Hip Hop • Top 40
your favorites from
80’s and 90’s
NO COVER CHARGE
for Ladies on Thursdays
Bring Student ID
Win up to $100 cash!
707 Willamette St. 683-5160 k (free parking in Rock-n-Rodeo Lot)
The Oregon Humanities Center
in Collaboration with The Orion Society
PRESENTS
READINGS AND A PANEL DISCUSSION
by noted authors
John Daniel
William kittredge
Barry Lopez
Scott Russell Sanders
Annick Smith
Terry Tempest Williams
Ann zwinger
Sunday, April 28, 2002
3:00-5:00 p.m.
180 PLC
This event is free and open to the public, and
will be followed by a book sale and signing.
For more information, or for disability
accommodations, please contact the Oregon
Humanities Center at (541) 346-3934.