Southern Italian and Sicilian
Drum, Song, Dance Lessons
PIZZICA MODULE BEGINS THIS MAY!
I am a part of a sprouting diasporic collective who are generating co-learning spaces for this ancestral music, and beyond, affectionately called “Macaroni Music” (for now). This was seeded in Bulbancha (colonially known as New Orleans) at an altar-building gathering for San Giuseppe in March 2024. If you want to get involved, send me an email: mandorlaarts@gmail.com. We begin online Pizzica module this May!
I offer individual and small group online sessions for folks that want to learn to drum, sing, and dance in the musical traditions of Southern Italy and Sicily, including regional varieties of tarantella, tammurriata, and pizzica
My Journey with the Drum
In 2008, I began a descent journey of personal healing. This underworld immersion of reclamation and retrieval took place inside of women’s circles using modalities such as trauma and resiliency informed somatics, embodiment practices, shadow work, authentic movement, co-counseling, herbcrafting, ceremony, lots of singing and tending to grief. Within these dedicated practice spaces where it was safe enough to feel, bear witness, and heal, I realized that much of what I carried didn’t begin with me, but was handed to me by my ancestors. They gave me their unhealed storylines, and they also gave me gifts. As I companioned others through their anguished and transformative passages, I discovered how powerful rhythmic soundspace can be in facilitating such deep processes. I discovered I had a knack for it, and I went seeking my ancestral rhythms to do this.
In 2012, I had my first return trip to my ancestral lands of Italy. I attended Alessandra Belloni’s Rhythm Is the Cure: Healing Drum and Dance Intensive, in Florence, Italy. I learned the Southern Italian Tarantellas, the Pizzica, the Tammurriata rhythms and dances.
From 2019-2022, I took weekly online drumming classes with Alessandra, and at times would substitute for her and teach her beginner’s classes.
Within this time, I also took online courses from Barbara Crescimanno.
In 2022, I traveled to my ancestral Motherland, Sicily! Ivisited the villages where my grandparents were from, met cousins, and did an intensive 6-week study with Barbara Crescimanno at Arci Tavola Tonda in Palermo. I was able to deepen in my understanding of Southern Italian Rhythms and dances, but also focus the Sicilian techniques.
In October 2023, I completed an intensive training with Andrea Piccioni and Livia Giafredda in Tuscany, training further in Southern Italian traditional rhythm, dance, and vocalizations.
I also seek out opportunities to learn from other Sicilian (traditional) musicians when I pilgrimage to Sicily each year.
At this time, I enjoy teaching these rhythms and dances with small groups locally, and I also offer classes online to small groups and individuals.
www.alessandrabelloni.com
https://www.tavolatonda.org/index.php/en/
https://www.andreapiccioni.net/
https://www.instagram.com/liviagiaffreda/
I hope our Ancestors dance and drum and sing with us, and help us re-member the rhythmic medicine of each of our own lineages, so over time we can learn to weave them together, dancing difference into harmony.
To learn more about the ancient roots of women’s relationship to time, rhythm, drum, song dance and devotion, and what menstruation has to do with it, as is revealed in the anthropological record of Southern Europe, the Fertile Crescent and Northern Africa watch these videos created by Barbara Crescimanno.
1. the origins of the rhythm and 2. iconography of the frame drum
It is in Italian with English subtitles. (If subtitles are not showing up, click on “Closed Caption” / ‘CC’ and then click on “English”)
https://vimeo.com/showcase/8179811
To study drumming in the Southern Italian Musica Populare and devotional traditions check out Alessandra Belloni’s incredible body of work.
www.alessandrabelloni.com
or check out Layne Redmond’s book. “ When the Women Were Drummers”.
Tarantellas of Southern Italy
Ancestral Retrieval
I follow the threads
Unraveling, Re-Weaving
With the Living and the Dead
Spider Rhythms open doors
We reach for each other
Healing Backwards, Creating Forwards
-Nikole
Introduction of my journey to find these rhythms of my motherline, at Bread and Roses: International Women’s Day program, Yellow Springs, Ohio
Rhythm: Tarantella Siciliane. Taught to me by Barbara Crescimanno, Palermo.
Song: Ciccu Diventa Vecchju , taught to me by Ciccio and Ludovica, Mirto, Sicilia.
Introduction to Tarantella Siciliane. Bread and Roses: International Women’s Day, Yellow Springs, Ohio.