Benvenuti!

Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletter

ISBN: 9798233707988
Southern Italian Music, Dance & Folk Healing: An Introductory Guide for students of Tarantella, Drumming, Dance & MysticisM

By: Salvatore Guglielmo

This is my first book to introduce students to the exciting world of Southern Italian Music, Dance, and Folk Healing. I encourage everyone to get the book to begin the journey of understanding the tradition. I am also making a goal to finish a more expansive and more detailed volume by 2027. ISBN: 9798233707988

Discover the Rhythms of Southern Italy


These classes offer a vibrant, hands-on journey into the region’s rich musical traditions, dynamic folk dances, and the profound spiritual practices that connect them. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced enthusiast, find your rhythm and connect to this deep cultural legacy.


Explore Our Classes

Music & Dance: Rhythms of Life

Somatic Sounds and Movements of the Drum and Body

Relevant Reading: Traditional Southern Italian Mandolin & Fiddle Tunes (John La Barbera), Rhythm is The Cure: Southern Italian Tambourine (Alessandra Belloni)
Tarantella Drumming: Rhythms of Liberation

Feel the pulse of Tarantella, an ancient Italian tradition that surges at 240–480 BPM, unlocking Theta Wave healing and deep somatic transformation.

We will explore the triplet or tremelo, the triple beat of the Pizzica that produces the hypnotic drone of this music and the 6/8 rhythm that induces and compels you to dance.

We will also explore the 4/4 rhythm of Tammurriata associated with the power of the 7 Sisters, an ancient tradition in the collective myth of humanity connected to Pleiades. Other rhythms we will cover are Alla Tammurridara, Salterello, Festival Rhythms, etc.

Dive in and discover how this wisdom can empower your modern life.

  • $60/1hr Private + Zoom Recording
  • $45/1hr Group + Zoom Recording (2 people minimum)
Relevant Reading:

Tammurriata Dancing: Rhythms of the Earth

Originating in ancient rituals for fertility gods, Tammurriata, the “dance of the drum,” is a significant pan-Mediterranean dance linked to fertility and the earth. Its steps mirror nature, encompassing everything from birdsong to battle and the sensuality of love.

This dance celebrates fertility, ancient nature gods such as Diana, Bacchus, Cybele, the natural rhythms of life and the earth. Intrinsically connected to the Madonnas known as the Sette Sorelle or the 7 Sisters.

To dance Tammurriata is to become one with nature, shifting from your mind into your body and experiencing the full passion of the untamed self and ancestors.

  • $60/1hr Private + Zoom Recording
  • $45/1hr Group + Zoom Recording (2 people minimum)
Relevant Reading:

Pizzica Dancing: Dance of the primordial spider

Originating from pre-historic traditions related to the ancient god Bacchus and ancestor worship in the form of animal totems known as the Tarante. People connect to their community, allowing rhythm to guide their movements.

With a hypnotic 6/8 rhythm of quick footwork, dancers enter a realm of ecstasy and joy. Each step resonates with your partner, reflecting the relationship between humans and nature.

Discover this ancient dance and let your body flow like a spider, snake, and scorpion, celebrating the rich cultural history intertwined with this expression.

  • $60/1hr Private + Zoom Recording
  • $45/1hr Group + Zoom Recording (2 people minimum)

Culture & Spirituality: Rhythms of Ancestors

Somatic Sounds and Movements Rooted in History, Culture and Mysticism

Relevant Reading: Black Madonnas (Lucia Birnbaum)
La Tradizione Popolare: Music | Dance | Spirituality

The Popular Traditions are those in the country, the hills, the way of the people. These are the songs, dances, and magico-religious practices that unite them.

We will begin our odyssey through various regions of Southern Italy and how this has influenced traditions in America. The Sette Sorelle of Compania and Tammurriata, Su Maimone of Sardinia and the dance of the Mumothones, Pulcinella of Napoli and his friction drum, I Giganti of Sicilia and the spinning dance, the Naccarata laments and more.

We will discuss music, dance, history, folklore and how all of this can guide and inform your modern life. Blending the traditional view of the world with the modern experience and its relation to Catholicism.

  • $60/1hr Private + Zoom Recording
  • $45/1hr Group + Zoom Recording (2 people minimum)
Relevant Reading: Stregoneria (Andrea Romanazzi), Inquisitori, negromanti e streghe nella Sicilia moderna (1500-1782) (Maria Sofia Messana)
Rituals in Motion: History | magic | rhythm

This class explores history, culture, and tradition from the ancient, to the records of Guazzo and the Spanish Inquisition, up to the modern day.

We journey into the world of the so called “Strega”, the history, suppressed beliefs, and the misunderstood music and dance of the ancestors.

We will explore several texts, oral tradition, La Danza Macabre, Le Donne de Fuora and their dancing curse and more.

We will discuss songs, dance and the Carnevale and how they have preserved the songs and dances of the countryside.

  • $60/1hr Private + Zoom Recording
  • $45/1hr Group + Zoom Recording (2 people minimum)
Relevant Reading: Land of Remorse (Ernesto De Martino), The Spider Dance (Parmigiani, Giovanna), Il Ritorno del Dio che Balla (Andrea Romanazzi)
Tarantismo: Pizzica Ritual | Dance | Music

This is a deep dive into the spiritual side of Pizzica. We will explore the relation to color theory and emotion, the totemic animal ancestors known as Tarante and how they go beyond the spider, snake and scorpion.

How the Pizzica Tarantata is more than a dance and music, but a state of divine madness and trance. From ancient prehistoric times from the world of Animism to the modern, we will explore how this tradition has evolved from its Bacchic-Orphic roots to the tradition of the Spider Woman, the dancing curse of La Signora Taranta and San Paolo.

The last day will be interactive with participation where students will choose a color, dance, engage with their Taranta and post-discuss their experience.

“If You Dance Alone, You Cannot Be Healed” (Parmigiani, Giovanna).

  • $60/1hr Private + Zoom Recording
  • $45/1hr Group + Zoom Recording (2 people minimum)
Explore Patreon Content & Learn Exclusive Content on your Time!
  • Tier 1: Ti Saluto: I Salute You!
    • Basic Content
  • Tier 2: Il Cerchio: Music and Dance Tutorials
    • Core education in Music & Dance basics
  • Tier 3: Il Boschetto: The Grove
    • Deeper understanding of Southern Italian Music, Dance and Folklore


News & updates

Posts

Explore the Latest Posts

Newsletters

Explore each Newsletter and sign up above to receive them in your inbox

  • Buon Capodanno

    Buon Capodanno

    Read More

  • Il Giorno dei Morti

    Il Giorno dei Morti

    The Day of the Dead: An Italian Tradition of Honoring Ancestors All cultures have a unique way of honoring the dead. From flowers, to songs, special foods and prayers. In many cultures influenced by Catholicism, the days reserved for honoring the dead occur between October 31st (Halloween) more so with Northern Europe and America, November

    Read More

  • Newsletter

    Newsletter

    “All cruelty springs from weakness” – Seneca As we reflect on the world today, it seems inescapable what horrors we are living through. The American Empire, boldly displaying its tyranny on every news station. People incriminated for simply existing, not fitting into the status quo, and the future seems bleak. We must remember in these

    Read More

We’re looking for you!

Interested in Connecting? We’d love to hear from you!