Theater for the New City Presents TARANTELLA - SPIDER DANCE, Now thru 1/20

The show also relates the dual journeys of Athena and Arianna, who both suffer from tarantismo, transmitted from the bite of the spider Arachne. Athena's drumming induces a trance dance and reveals the age-old myth of Arachne and birth of the spider woman. Arianna gains insight of her own madness and suicidal mania and actively seeks a cure. The shaman's drumming and Dioniso's ecstatic dancing lead Arianna to New York and Brazil, where she encounters The Common threads of universal rhythms and traditional cures through music and dance. Arianna and Athena re-unite in a cross-cultural celebration of healing which allows her finally to truly love.

As with all of Belloni's presentations, the show is meticulously researched, with costumes and instrumentation as authentic as possible. The music ranges from traditional 6/8 southern Italian to 12/8 heavy-accented modern sounds, and includes tarantellas, sensual love songs, and women's work chants. Instrumentation is both traditional and modern. Traditional instruments include Renaissance folk guitar, mandolin, accordion, viella, frame drums, tambourines, frame drums and dumbeck. Electric violin and guitar, and techno beats have been added to the more modern music segments.

Featured in the cast are:

Alessandra Belloni - concept/direction, lead vocals, Southern Italian percussion, ritual dance
Guest percussionist: Massimo Cusato from Calabria, Italy
Joe Deninzon - music arranger/electric and acoustic violin
Anthony Anderson - fire dancer/acrobat/capoeira master as young Dionysus
Wilson Montuori - classical and acoustic guitar
Peter Abazia - drums/percussion
Susan Eberenz - flutes/piccolo/recorder
Giuseppe De Falco - Neapolitan singer
Mark Mindek - stilt dancer
Fran Sperling - aerial dancer
Sharon Li Vardo, dancer
Peter De Geronimo, acrobat/dancer
Lindsay Poulis, dancer
Michael Garret - dancer
Francesca Silvano - dancer
Caterina Rago - dancer
Greta Campo - dancer
Hillary Litwin - Oriental dancer