Traditional dancing

QUATER SAUTI RABIESI DANCE GROUP

In 2002 a research project was launched to recreate, as faithfully as possible, the traditional dress and dances of the Val di Rabbi between the second half of the 1800s and the start of the 20th century. The aim was to revive the traditional clothing and dancing of the valley and promote social integration, identity and a feeling of belonging for young people within their own community. The project identified the dances which had been part of our culture, our folklore, providing a few moments of fun at a time when daily life was full of toil and worries. The repertoire was built on the recollections of a long line of accordion players who have entertained generations of Val di Rabbi folk, with dances such as polkas, waltzes and mazurcas. The group made their début on 10 August 2003, with just eight couples, representing three generations and performing seven dances. Every year, the research into music on which to base the choreography led to the group expanding their set list to sixteen pieces, including a variety of polkas, waltzes, tangos, foxtrots and mazurkas.

THE ‘SAUTAMARTINI’

After the creation of the “I Quater Sauter Rabiesi” dance group in 2003, there was an immediate realisation that it was important to bring the generations together through folk dancing, particularly for young children. This led to the founding, in 2010, of the “Sautamartini”, a group of youngsters aged 6 to 16 who launched this scheme to introduce people to the local traditions. A new costume was produced, created using the available historical photo archives. The experience of the “Sautamartini” who, over the years, have performed several times both on their own and with a group of adults, helped the “Quater Sauti” to create a new generation to replace the old guard, bringing the local community together, who see a commitment by these youngsters to get involved, supporting the valley’s culture.

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