Discovered in Southern Italy, Tarantism was a dancing mania believed to be induced by the bite of a wolf spider. The majority insisted that any victim had to act out a frenzied dance to prevent death. The dance, the Tarantella, adopted a folk style and 6/8 time, featuring tambourines and multiple, highly necessary flirtatious interactions between... See more

“ Butoh dance conjures up a universe of the unconscious, the primal, the dark, the grotesque, mud, insects, and death. Performances characteristically show slow and cyclical time dimensions; it is a dance expression that evokes light and growth but also death and decay. Along with the taboos associated with this aspect of existence, there is a... See more