Le Marche Travel: Traditional Folk Dance, the Saltarello

Among the many Italy tourist attractions, during your Marche travel, don't miss a traditional folk dance meeting, a fun and exciting event.

The traditional dance of Le Marche region is “il saltarello”. Literally it means small jump and there sure is a lot of jumping and aerobic exercise in this lively dance.

It used to be performed at the seasonal farmers gathering, country weddings and festivities.

After years of oblivion is coming back into fashion thanks to a renewed interest in Le Marche folk traditions.

The saltarello music is played with simple country instruments: a small accordion, called “organetto”, the pipes and most important a drum with cymbals: il tamburello.

The solo singer has a main part in the group, he sings a simple melody often improvising the lyrics. Sometimes a dialogue starts between two “stornellatori” (solo singers) or the soloist and the chorus.

The lyrics sing the praises of the host, of the bride if is a marriage and the topic is often explicitly sexual.

We arrived in the precious little village of Monte San Vito in the afternoon for a stage of “tarantella reggitana” (a dance from Calabria region) held at the Viadelcampo B&B . The lessons were held by the Fuiuti, a Calabria group: they kindly provided live music, instruction and entertainment.

Various groups played tarantella and saltarello tunes working the crowd into a dancing frenzy. The Danzintondo folk dancers from Morro d’Alba participated keeping up the rhythm of the evening: endorphins run wild in the dancers veins.

Everybody was encouraged to participate and the general atmosphere was of carefree fun. The mood of the evening was something in between the celebration of a pagan rite and an animated party with old friends.

If during your Marche travel you have a chance to participate to a folk dance festival, don’t miss it, join in and have fun: it will be an unforgettable experience!

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