Tarantella facts for kids
A Tarantella is a super fast and energetic dance. It's usually played in a special rhythm called 6/8 time. This means it has six quick beats in each measure. The dance gets its name from a city in Italy called Taranto.
Long ago, people in southern Italy believed something interesting. They thought if someone was bitten by a tarantula spider, they needed to dance the Tarantella. The idea was that dancing faster and faster would help them sweat out the spider's poison. Dancers would get very excited, almost as if they were in a trance.
However, some historians think this might have been an excuse. Back then, the church sometimes didn't allow dancing. So, people might have used the "spider bite" story as a way to dance freely. Interestingly, the tarantula spider's bite is actually only a little bit poisonous, not deadly.
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Tarantella in Music
Many famous composers have enjoyed writing fast pieces of music called "Tarantella." These pieces often capture the energetic and lively feel of the dance.
Famous Composers and Their Tarantellas
- Mendelssohn: He wrote a well-known Tarantella. It's the very last part of his Symphony No. 4, which is also called the "Italian" Symphony.
- Chopin: This famous piano composer also wrote a Tarantella.
- Liszt: Another great composer who created his own version of the Tarantella.
These musical pieces are often very challenging and exciting to play because of their quick tempo and lively rhythm.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Tarantella rhythm.
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Italian women dance the tarantella, 1846
See also
In Spanish: Tarantela para niños
