Alessandra Belloni

Alessandra Belloni will air on State of the Arts this week!

 The segment Aired on April 22nd on NJ PBS at 8:30pm, with additional broadcasts throughout the week. 

WATCH HERE!

https://www.pbs.org/video/state-of-the-arts-rhythm-roots-ucoq5s/

This special 8-minute segment features my work as Master Folk Artist, and as recipient of the special NJ FOLK ARTS FELLOWSHIP in 2026! 

This program is directed by a brilliant director, Nate Reninga, and produced by Jess Dotson.

The director filmed the show with my Italian Folk Music group I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA at the Bronx Heritage Hall, my healing dance and percussion workshop on the tarantella at CMDE in New Jersey, and a special interview at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where we are artist in residence.

Annual Rhythm is the Cure Retreat in Hawaii

RHYTHM IS THE CURE

Jan 25 - Feb 1, 2027

Healing Dance and Percussion Workshop

from Southern Italy in Hawaii!

REGISTER NOW !

Healing Dance and Percussion Workshop 
from Southern Italy from Hawaii! 

More Information Click HERE

Rhythm is the Cure is an 8-day, intensive healing workshop featuring Southern Italian ritual music and dance used as therapy for centuries throughout the Mediterranean. This new workshop will blend the Southern Italian musical traditions of the Black Madonna, and the Divine Feminine. Every morning drumming sessions will be held on the beach. 

For questions about registration, please contact us!

Celebrate the Feast of the Black Madonna, Sept 13th

 with drumming & dance workshops in New Jersey
Internationally renowned singer, percussionist, and teacher Alessandra Belloni
Author of Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna
invites you to:

CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF THE BLACK MADONNA MADONNA SCHIAVONA, Madonna of Montevergine, protector of gays and transgenders

and OUR LADY OF FREEDOM (Madonna della Libera)

Featuring the traditionial TAMMURRIATA --

After her successful Pilgrimage and tour in the region of Campania, on the Amalfi Coast, and on the sacred mountains, Alessandra will hold

A DANCE AND DRUMMING WORKSHOP FOR

THE FEAST OF THE BLACK MADONNA

with dancers AMARA & Peter di Geronimo

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2025

5:00 pm to 8:00pm EST  

Center for Modern Dance Education (CMDE)

84 Euclid Avenue, Hackensack NJ

(201) 342-2989

This powerful journey will introduce and transport the audience to a time and place where an unbroken and ancient tradition continues today with folk music, processions, devotional drumming, and dance. It will feature Alessandra Belloni's field research taken during her most recent pilgrimage in Campania, provide a panoramic view of the sacred sites of the Black Madonna in this region, known in the Italian folk tradition as the "Seven Sisters."

Students will learn:

A unique style of traditional Southern Italian frame drum & tambourine playing, including variations of the 4/4 rhythm of the Tammurriata.

These rhythms and movements represent an unbroken chain of inspiration and expression of sound and dance, dating back to the rites of the Mother Earth Goddess Cybele, and kept alive into the present. We will learn the history of this powerful tambourine style, traditionally done by women. Empowering women to get in touch with their ancient frame drumming traditions.

THE DANCE OF THE TAMMURRIATA - This elegant and sensual dance from Naples is performed by couples playing castanets to the rhythm of the large drum, called the Tammorra. The dance movements have a strong Spanish and Middle Eastern flourish. These movements are set to the beat of African 4/4 rhythms. The Tammurriata is based upon an improvisational style of drumming and singing usually enacted during the summer rituals in honor of the ancient Earth Goddess Cybele, and later, the Black Madonna.

• Sacred chants of the Divine Feminine, now known as Mamma

Schiavona, and the sacred mountain of Montevergine, where there is a devotion of

• The ancient tradition of the femminielli - gay and transgender

devotees of Mamma Schiavona and La Madonna della Libera, with a strong connection to the Goddess Isis.

How to Register:

Email to: alessandrabelloni@gmail.com or blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

Participants need to have a tambourine or frame drum,

at least 12 inches wide.

Alessandra's own design is available for purchase,

made in collaboration with REMO

for the Southern Italian tambourine technique.

http://www.alessandrabelloni.com/store

Alessandra may have drums for sale at the workshop.

**Please wear white clothing with red if possible**

$75 at the door and $65 in advance

(for each workshop)



You can pay by Paypal: @blackmadonnacenter

blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

VENMO or ZELLE will also be possible,

information coming soon.

CELEBRATE THE FALL EQUINOX!

Experience the healing power of tarantella rhythms and dance

featuring Southern Italian ritual dances used as music

and dance therapy for centuries throughout the Mediterranean.

TARANTELLA WORKSHOP

Featuring Dancer AMARA



SUNDAY, September 20

5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Center for Modern Dance Education (CMDE)

84 Euclid Avenue, Hackensack NJ

(201) 342-2989

Participants will learn the unique Southern Italian style of tambourine playing and the ancient healing trance dance of the tarantella, used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula. The workshop focuses on releasing blockages of energies, breaking the imaginary "spider web" of the subconscious.

Students shall begin each session with drumming followed by an hour and half of dance. Then they will learn the variations of the basic 6/8 rhythm of the Tarantella that originated as music and dance therapy to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula.

Alessandra will also teach chants and songs of devotion to the Black Madonna and to the Sun (Jesce Sole).

During these series of workshops, the participants will learn:

TAMBOURINE TECHNIQUE:

The basic technique of holding the drum, with emphasis on arm movement, wrist and elbow technique. 
Basic accented fast 6/8 rhythm used for different style tarantellas, which involve different variations of hand technique including finger trills on the tambourine skin.

THE RITUAL DANCE:

Pizzica Tarantata, a very fast 6/8 rhythm from Puglia, with different accents, which originated as music therapy to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula. This wild rhythm, played mainly by women on medium-size tambourines with a double row of jingles and the dance were performed as a musical exorcism to cure a mental disease called tarantismo, which afflicted mainly women (tarantate), who fell into a hypnotic state of mind, and in a trance they frantically danced for days during the Summer Solstice. Originally these were the ancient Greek rites for the God Dionysus as Puglia was part of Greece and was called Magna Grecia.

The purpose of this workshop is to introduce general audiences to a very rich tambourine and folk dance culture with an active current performance practice in Southern Italy and also to bring women back in touch with their lost drumming tradition.

How to Register:

Email to: alessandrabelloni@gmail.com or blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

Participants need to have a tambourine or frame drum,

at least 12 inches wide.

Alessandra's own design is available for purchase,

made in collaboration with REMO

for the Southern Italian tambourine technique.

http://www.alessandrabelloni.com/store

Alessandra may have drums for sale at the workshop.

**Please wear white clothing with red if possible**

$75 at the door and $65 in advance

(for each workshop)



You can pay by Paypal: @blackmadonnacenter

blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

VENMO or ZELLE will also be possible,

In collaboration with
FLEE

Book / LP Presentation
Tarantismo – Odyssey of an Italian Ritual
Genealogy of a cure beyond its postmodern simulacrum

Tuesday September 29 @ 6:30 EST

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo

24 W 12th ST, NY 

A lecture by
Alan Marzo-Strani, FLEE Project
Co-author of
Tarantismo: Odyssey of an Italian Ritual

Followed by a conversation with
Alessandra Belloni, Singer, percussionist, dancer, teacher, author

Moderated by
Emilio Tamburini, Ph.D. Candidate, NYU

The fruit of a transdisciplinary research project bringing together historians, ethnomusicologists, photographers, and artists, Tarantismo: Odyssey of an Italian Ritual traces the long genealogy of a trance ritual born in the peasant world of Salento, in which women bitten by the mythical tarantula spider were healed through days of music, dance, and trance, often mobilizing the image of Saint Paul. From its medieval and early modern origins as a contested object of medical and religious debate, through its gradual Christianization around the chapel of Galatina, to its postwar rediscovery by ethnomusicologists, photographers, and filmmakers who saw in it a mirror of Southern Italy’s poverty and subaltern culture, the book follows tarantismo as it is continually reinvented across centuries. This new edition extends that inquiry into the present, examining how a rite once feared as illness has become a heritage industry and a festival phenomenon, and how its grammar of ecstatic music and dance resurfaces today in the search for sacred experience within postmodern, urban, and global forms of ritual life. The book comes with a companion LP featuring rare and previously unreleased field recordings of tarantismo healing sessions made in the 1950s by ethnomusicologists Diego Carpitella and Alan Lomax, paired with new interpretations of these archives by contemporary artists and musicians.

The book and LP are available here.

About the Author:
Alan Marzo-Strani is an artist and researcher whose satirical work moves between sculpture and moving image. His films and installations have been presented internationally, including at Casa Castex (Buenos Aires), MAAT (Lisbon), and the Sharjah Art Foundation. A former resident of the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, he writes regularly for Les Cahiers du Centre Pompidou and releases music on labels including Bordello a Parigi and Maledetta Discoteca. He is co-founder of FLEE and co-author of Tarantismo: Odyssey of an Italian Ritual.

About FLEE:
FLEE is an art collective founded by Alan Marzo-Strani, Olivier Duport, and Carl Åhnebrink. It operates as an independent publisher, record label, and curatorial platform. By shedding light on subjectively selected sound and cultural phenomena, FLEE interacts with contemporary artistic approaches. The transdisciplinary initiative explores and emphasizes the contours of globalization from both historical and critical perspectives. Its installations, commissioned works, and objects have been featured at various institutions worldwide, including Jeu de Paume (Paris), Offprint (Tate, London), and more.

About Alessandra Belloni:
Alessandra Belloni is an award‑winning singer, percussionist, dancer, and actress whose work preserves and reimagines Southern Italian folk traditions. A 2026 Heritage Fellowship recipient from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, she is internationally known for her performances, teaching, and research on healing rituals connected to the Black Madonna. Born in Rome and based in New York, she is Artistic Director and co‑founder of I Giullari di Piazza, the resident Italian music and dance ensemble at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Belloni tours worldwide, leads workshops, and continues to shape contemporary folk performance through her recordings, books, and acclaimed stage productions.

Study ONLINE with Alessandra!

Internationally renowned singer, percussionist, teacher, author Alessandra Belloni - Remo Artist proudly announces two self-paced courses on the Black Madonna:

“The Voyage of the Black Madonna Virtual Pilgrimage to the Sacred Sites of the Black Madonna in Southern Italy.” 

A Virtual Pilgrimage 

Immerse Yourself in the Healing Musical Traditions of the Black Madonnas of Southern Italy! 

RHYTHM IS THE CURE ONLINE SOUTHERN ITALIAN AND FRAME DRUMS AND TAMBOURINE Zoom Classes

Starting in September

Zoom: Percussion Classes

We will trace this style of percussion through the ages, from its ancient Greek roots, through the Italian Middle Ages and Renaissance, and its relevance today. We will study and practice basic tarantella tamburello techniques: holding the drum with emphasis on arm movement, hand technique for triplets, and the 6/8 and 4/4 rhythms.

Class sessions will be 12 lessons divided in 4 parts, will be held on Zoom weekly (90 minutes) and will be recorded.

BEGINNERS MONDAYS AT 6:00PM EST

INTERMEDIATE WEDNESDAY AT 6:00PM EST

ADVANCED THURSDAY AT 6:00 pm EST

COST $60 PER CLASS, $200 FOR 4 CLASSES

REGISTRATION VENMO Alessandra Belloni

zelle 646 322-4637

paypal blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

 4 classes: $200 https://buy.stripe.com/14AeVe2IW0ke3Wobxi83C0n​
1 class: $60 https://buy.stripe.com/6oUdRa0AOaYS8cE30M83C0o

Zoom: Singing Classes: HEALING WOMEN CHANTS & SACRED SONGS FOR THE BLACK MADONNA, with guitarist composer John La Barbera

2 FRIDAYS PER MONTH

Each lesson will feature 2 songs from a specific southern Italian region: Campania, Calabria, Puglia, Sicily, and Lazio. We will describe the history, myths and legends that are part of this rich ancient folk tradition. You will receive lyric sheets with translations, and sheet music if available.

Class sessions will be 8 lessons and will be held on Zoom twice a month, for 90-120 minutes.

Classes will be recorded on zoom . registration, $60 per class, please register for 2 classes

venmo Alessandra Belloni

paypal blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com 

The World Needs Healing !

Join Internationally renowned singer, percussionist,

teacher, author Alessandra Belloni -

Remo Artist & the BLACK MADONNA CENTER

In this Special Online Series,

Now Available Again on TEACHABLE:

THE VOYAGE OF THE BLACK MADONNA

A VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE SACRED SITES

OF THE BLACK MADONNA IN SOUTHERN ITALY

Written, narrated, produced & directed by Alessandra Belloni

Copyright (c) Alessandra Belloni 1991-2019-2021

An immersive journey into the musical & healing traditions of Southern Italy & the Black Madonnas' sacred sites in the regions of CAMPANIA, SICILY, CALABRIA, BASILICATA

Including: 8 Episodes - 3 hours of video series & lectures,

plus lyrics to the sacred chants in honor of the Black Madonna

Based on Alessandra's book Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna

published by Inner Traditions (2019), with preface by

best-selling author Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox

Happy to share the book is still a best-seller on Amazon, under Dance!

Click HERE to register and download THE VIDEO SERIES

as an online course through TEACHABLE for only $200

Also available on Teachable: Alessandra's Beginning Southern Italian Fram Drum in Honor of the Black Madonna. Normally sold separately for $150, Get both courses as a Bundle for $300 !

MORE INFORMATION ON BOTH COURSES HERE!