The traditional pizzica is a couple dance. The couple need not necessarily involve two individuals of opposite sexes, and often two women can be seen dancing together. Nowadays it has become rare to see two men dancing an entire pizzica. An exception with a pizzica between two men can still be found in the town of Ostuni, where one of the two men who dance jokingly pretends to be a woman. Another exception is where two men pretend to be engaged in a duel.
The most important book about pizzica and tarantism is The Land of Remorse, written by the Italian philosopher, anthropologist and historian of religions Ernesto de Martino.[1]
There are several traditional pizzica groups, the oldest being Officina Zoé, Uccio Aloisi gruppu, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, and I Tamburellisti di Torrepaduli.
