Pizzica is the traditional folk dance of Puglia, the Salento area in particular. It features in most festivals and events everywhere. However, far from being a cult activity kept going by older people, it has in the last 20 years emerged as a Puglian rock music and dancing phenomenon, with huge public concerts being a feature of the Puglian summer.
Pizzica is traditionally danced by one or two women, but men, women, couples and groups are often involved. It is a tarantella dance with ancient roots, seen as dancing off the madness induced by a spider bite (NB there have never been any tarantula spiders in Puglia!), but also associated with women protesting against the strictness and conformity of medieval society – for centuries it was suppressed by the Church authorities.
Fast moving, quick fancy footwork (often with bare feet), increasingly frenetic pirouettes, finishing with a collapse to the floor as the “madness” is shaken off. The musical support varies enormously, a tambourine is the only traditional essential, but is always fast and rhythmic.
So look out for a pizzica event when in Puglia – a local show or one of the massive summer Notte della Taranta concerts, which combine the tradition with modern rock concert performances featuring nationally and internationally known artists (eg Stewart Copeland, formerly with Police, Phil Manzanero, formerly with Roxy Music), the biggest are in Taranto and in Melpignano. FOR A U-TUBE VIDEO OF THE MELPIGNANO NOTTE DELLA TARANTA, CLICK HERE