Where Do I Go From Here?

I have always found solace in dance. I grew up competitively dancing in multiple styles–jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, etc. Despite my vast encounters with dance, I had never experienced the art as a vehicle for connecting to my culture. I was taught it was the technique and emotions that mattered, not at all the history behind the movements. My bias in the performance focus in dance shined through in the completion of this project as I found myself relearning so much of what I consider what it means to dance. Dance, as I now understand, is something that can connect me, my family, my heritage, strangers, and everyone in between. With the knowledge of tarantella, I feel like I have gained an asset into my lineage. I gratefully feel closer to my grandparents, people who I often have a hard time communicating with. I honestly do not know if they know or value the tarantella, yet I can envision us dancing it together. Such a thing like heritage is odd because it is so obsolete to some, but so crucial for others. Lineage can be a mode of survival–survival of history, people, and ways of life. By diving into a miniscule part of my expansive culture, I cannot say I am completely engulfed in it, and I am not sure if I ever will be just because of how I grew up. I also do not have the complete answer to my question if I would be considered authentic if I decided to dance the tarantella, but that is okay. And, to try to answer that question, probably not. However, I can try to be as respectful as possible through research and recognition of the practice. Just because I am Southern Italian does not automatically warrant me as authentic, at least in my personal opinion. In fact, preserving the authenticity in tarentella through the matter of research is most fullfilling for me. I feel most whole in my knowledge of this small sliver of my heritage, and I know I am authentic in my feelings and passion for dance whether it be the tarantella, contemporary, or somewhere else few and far between.