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| Allesandra Belloni's performance |
“For
those of us with the passion for rediscovering or preserving our
Italian cultural heritage, we no longer need to desperately embrace
those songs, dances, folk dress, etc., imposed on us by those who cannot
authenticate them as representing our heritage." -Independent scholar Celeste DiPietropaolo
Taking original folk practices out of their original social context changes the “meaning” of the dance. But does it change the “essence?” If the steps remain the same, and the music remains the same, how much power does the “context” have to change the “meaning” or rather, the “experience” of the dance?
No doubt, Italian dancers allude to the original folk context of the Italian Tarantella. But how much is lost in translation?
For Italian-American immigrants and children of immigrants, the Tarantella is danced at weddings, and some people enjoy re-claiming this traditional dance into their own lives. But it is interesting to consider that this dance no longer functions in its “original” context, as that context no longer exists.
The Italian-American people are westernized and Americanized. Italian-Americans looking for their “roots” should make allowances for the idea that sometimes “tradition revived” is more like “tradition invented.”
Reinvention and adaptation are tricky when it is difficult to locate originals. Making a collective history becomes even more tricky! What do you think?
A) What is your family tradition like at weddings and celebrations?
B) Have you traveled to Italy and seen traditional dance in the streets?
C) What do you think of American cultural productions like Jersey Boys the Broadway musical? Is this kind of cultural production invented or revived?
