Tarantata: Dance of the Ancient Spider “Ms. Belloni sang in an exultant voice… The songs blazed with an age-old momentum.” – The New York TimesExtraordinary vocalist, hand-percussionist and dancer Alessandra Belloni creates a voluptuous exploration of Tarantella— the frenzied ritual dances that enact the release of built-up erotic desire— in a contemporary incarnation of the southern Italian folk form. In the traditional “Pizzica Tarantata” healing rite, performers suffering the effects of spider “love bite” are accompanied by furious percussion as they spin, stomp, writhe and otherwise work up an ecstatic lather in a bid to purge the “venom” from their bodies. Belloni uses both traditional and modern instrumentation to dramatize an account of the curative power of the ritual. CALARTS’ DOWNTOWN CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS631 WEST 2ND STREETLOS ANGELES, CA 90012213 237-2800
The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts located in downtown Los Angeles inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Each season REDCAT presents a far-reaching roster of work by globally renowned artists, inside one of the most versatile and technologically advanced presentation spaces in the world.“The gold standard of the avant garde in L.A.” —The Huffington PostThrough performances, exhibitions, screenings, and literary events, REDCAT introduces diverse audiences, students and artists to the most influential developments in the arts from around the world, and gives artists in this region the creative support they need to achieve national and international stature. REDCAT continues the tradition of theCalifornia Institute of the Arts, its parent organization, by encouraging experimentation, discovery and lively civic discourse.“Tinseltown goes avant-garde with REDCAT.” —Conde Nast Traveller