ALESSANDRA
BELLONI is
a singer, percussionist, dancer and actress who stands
as one of the most important voices of traditional
southern Italian music
and dance today. She is artist-in-residence at the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Alessandra is Artistic
Director and Founder of I Giullari di Piazza (the
Players of the Square). For her mastery of musical
styles-both at home and abroad-she has been acclaimed
as one of the greatest living percussionists in the
world, and has her own signature series of Italian
tambourines designed with the largest percussion industry
in the world, Remo Inc.
Christmas Benefit Party at THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY
Fundraiser
Join us as we look into the new year with hope and honor Dean James Parks Morton, who has been Dean of the Cathedral of St John the Divine for 25 years and co-chairman of our Board of Directors.
We will have food, wine and raffle prices that include a time share vacation in Florida, drums, books/DVDs, CDs, and concert tickets. We will play music from our Christmas show LA CANTATA DEI PASTORI and from our Solstice show TARANTELLA SPIDER DANCE and will also invite the audience to dance.
The funds raised with our Christmas benefit party will go towards the productions costs of our annual Solstice celebration, TARANTELLA SPIDER DANCE, which will be presented on December 20, 21, and Janaury 10 & 11th at ATA (American Theatre of Actors) 314 West 54th Street, near 8th Avenue. Everywhere the show played, including Italy last summer, it has been a resounding success, often called the “Italian River Dance.”
Christmas Benefit Party on Fri, December 5th
at THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY
219 Sullivan Street (b/w Bleecker & W.3rd St)
in Greenwich Village
7pm
Saturday, December 6, 2008
11:30 am
Opening ceremony of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Concert
Saturday December 6th @ 11;30 am
Opening ceremony of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Music of Spider Dance with Alessandra Belloni & violinist Joe Deninzon
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY
Sunday, December 7, 2008
7:00 pm
Special concert at Snug Harbor for the Inauguration of the Tuscan Villa
Concert
Sunday December 7th
Special concert at Snug Harbor, Staten Island, for the Inauguration of the Tuscan Villa
ALESSANDRA BELLONI ~ internationally renown percussionist, singer-dancer REMO Signature series artist PRESENTS Special Healing Dance & Percussion workshop focusing on the origins of the Tarantella as a healing dance of purification
Featuring Southern Italian ritual dances used as music and dance therapy combined with their unique style of tambourine, and focusing on the ancient healing trance dance of the Tarantella, used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula.
In Part 1 we will review the rhythms and chants in honor of the Black Madonna known as Tammoriata – done in honor of the Black Madonna (originally ancient rites for the Earth Goddess Cybele). Part 2 Students will also learn the trance 6/8 rhythm and dance of SAN ROCCO called the : THE SPINNING DANCE, Based on a trance tarantella from Calabria in honor of San Rocco, dating back to the Middle ages, used as a healing ritual against the plague. Everyone spins together in a spiral and in a circle.
The final part will be dedicated to the healing trance dance of purification called Pizzica Tarantata, used to cure a mental disorder called Tarantismo, which afflicted mainly women, who felt stuck in the spider web of their society. Every student will learn the steps of the Pizzica, which are very fast and energetic. Part of the ritual takes place on the floor, and the dance is actually a spider-like movement on the ground. This part has the most amazing healing effect, releasing stress, blockage of sexual energy, as well as opening the heart and throat chakra according to the movements, as if coming out of an imaginary SPIDERWEB. Alessandra will end the sessions using the ocean drum, creating the sound of the waves in a final relaxation invoking the healing power of the water. Please wear white and red, the ritual colors of the Tarantate. (Please do not wear black.)
Cost: $50 For more information (201) 224-3833 or ABelloni@aol.com www.alessandrabelloni.com FIRST PRESBITERIAN CHURCH – 731 UNDERCLIFF AVE. Edgewater NJ 07020
New
Book/DVD
Rhythm is the Cure
Southern Italian Tambourine
Featuring
Alessandra Belloni
from MelBay Publishing
Available
Now! from AlessandraBelloni.com More Info
FIRST PRESBITERIAN CHURCH –