"Tarantella: An Italian Folk Dance" Cloth Napkin

Tarantella: An Italian Folk Dance-The dance, originally an Italian folk dance of the lower- and middle-classes, has been labeled as a dance to cure sickness and as a dance of courtship. In the courtship version of the dance, the woman uses rapidity and liveliness to excite the love of her partner. In turn, the man tries to charm her with his agility, elegance and demonstrations of tenderness. The dance is one of unity and separation, which sees dancers flying into each others arms only to bound away again. It is considered unlucky to dance the Tarantella alone so it is often danced by couples or by two women accompanied by tambourines. It is among the most recognized of traditional Italian music. The specific dance name varies with every region, for instance tammuriata in Campania, pizzica in the Salento region, Sonu a ballu in Calabria. Tarantella is popular in Italy as well as in parts of Argentina.