Dances with spiders : crisis, celebrity and celebration in southern Italy

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: Tarantula Territory Salentine Tarantulas: Spider Dances and Discourses Tracking Down the Spider: Research Techniques and Intentions Crisis, Celebrity and Celebration: Contextualizing Salentine Tarantulas Preview: Summarizing this Book PART I: PAST AND PRESENT SPIDER WEBS Chapter 1. Seeking St Paul: Historical and Contemporary Enactments Dances at Galatina: a Crossroads of Old and New Tarantati Dances on Screen: Invention versus Intention Maria’s 1959 Domestic Ritual: a Historical Performance Ada’s 2001 Dance on TV: a Contemporary Performance Chapter 2. Webs through Time: Origins and History of Tarantism Possible Origins: Searching for Tarantism’s Roots Historical Interpretations: Explaining the Tarantula’s Cult De Martino’s View: a Key Point of Reference Recent Studies: Continuing the Quest for Answers PART II: THE SPIDER'S CULT TODAY Chapter 3. Curing Myths and Fictive Cures: Views of Believers and Sceptics Tarantism as Cure: Debates in Favour of the Tarantula St Paul’s Grotto: a Contested Site Spider Poisoning: a Contested Case Tarantism as Fiction: Debates Against the Tarantula Chapter 4. Ads and Antidotes: Celebrity versus Conservation Taranta-muffin, Techno-pizzica, Tarantavirus: Hybridizing the Pizzica The Festival of San Rocco: Revitalizing and Commercializing Traditions La Notte della Taranta: a Music and Media Spectacle La Sagra dei Curli: a Community Festival Chapter 5. Sensing Identities and Well-being: Personal Motivations and Experiences The Alla Bua: Music for Healing Tanya’s Story: Dancing Colours Ada’s Story: Retrieving Soundness PART III: FROM RITUAL TO LIMELIGHT Chapter 6. SpiderWoMen Transfixed: Negotiating Crisis and Cure Diagnosing Spiders: Identifying Tarantula Cases Views on Venom: Interpreting the Spider’s Bite Tarantula Alternatives: Choosing Treatment Options Chapter 7. Tarantula Threads and Showbiz Airs: Fine-tuning Performances Spider Sites: Performance Places Spider Schedules: Performance Times Tarantula Threads: Past Props and Techniques Showbiz Airs: Present Props and Techniques Chapter 8. SpiderWoMen Transformed: Celebrating Well-being Magic Circles: Allowing Music to Take Over Rhythmic Intervention: Choosing to Entrain Vibrating the Spider’s Web: Tapping a Source of Vitality Integrating Toxins: Connecting Self and Other Transforming Identities: Evoking a Sense of Belonging PART IV: CONCLUSION Chapter 9. Dancing Beyond Spiders Evelina’s Story: Living with the Tarantula Tarantula Rhythms: Reflections on Performance and Well-being Epilogue Bibliography Filmography Index