One of the many Summer festivals in Salento

Pizzica is a traditional Puglian folk dance derived from tarantismi, a ritual that was said to rid the body of a tarantula spider bite. In the Summer months this spider music can be heard all over Salento, where locals and tourists have been known to dance barefoot all night.

So here goes… I can’t quite believe I’m putting a video of me dancing on the Internet. I’m the most un-musical person I know and have no sense of rhythm… but, this is a party after all and someone surely has to do a little dance! In this video I show three simple steps of pizzica dancing. The steps are by no means perfect but you can get an idea.