Objective:
The students will move to music.

Materials

• A wide, open space allowing for movement

• If available, a recording of the Tarantella (Spider Dance).  There are many different recordings available- from Chopin to Gottschalk.  The following link may be helpful - Amazon.Com.  Conduct a search in the  "Music Store" on the Tarantella.

• If a Tarantella recording is not available, locate any fast paced classical music piece.

Procedure

1. Explain to the students the story/legend behind the Tarantella dance.  There was once a boy in Italy named Tony who was bitten by a poisonous Tarantula.  His mother acted quickly and had the village musician play a fast paced tune.  Tony was made to dance until he fell covered with perspiration.  He did not die, and it is believed that perspiring during the fast paced dance flushed the poison from his body.

2. Play the selected piece of music and have the students dance quickly about the room and "collapse" from exhaustion at the end of the music.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Play a game in which some students are spiders and others are flies.  Have the spiders try and "capture" the flies.

2. Make a large spider web by having all the students position themselves in a circle.  Using a ball of yarn or string, have the students "spin a web" experimenting with different designs and techniques.