Il Quartiere Italiano

History

Questa pagina in italiano.


Il Quartiere Italiano (IQI), "the Italian Neighborhood," was founded in 1972 at California State University, Hayward, as a college club under the guidance of Drssa. Yole Correa-Zoli, our Italian language professor and faculty advisor who encouraged us to learn not only the Italian language, but also Italian music, cuisine, literature, and folk culture, including some folk dances. We dramatized Italian plays on campus and on a San Francisco Italian TV program, Re di Cuori. Silvana Marsetti, the show's producer, was preparing a series on the regions of Italy and wondered if our group could learn and perform a few folk dances to introduce the three segments of the series: northern, central, and southern regions of Italy. Those nine dances were the beginning of our repertoire.

Our dance troupe began in earnest in 1973 with four couples. By the early 1980s, after members of the troupe had graduated from the university, we incorporated in the State of California as a non-profit educational corporation, recognized also by the Federal Government.

The ensemble concentrates on researching the folk dances and costumes of Italy in order to represent, as authentically as possible, various Italian regions and cities. The troupe has corresponded and met with folk troupes currently performing throughout Italy to promote a cultural exchange between the United States and Italy. Il Quartiere Italiano is also an active member of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America.

One of our favorite experiences was our participation in a Hollywood movie, "Blood Red," that was filmed at a winery outside of San Jose, California. Our assistance had been requested for a scene in the film during which the main character (played by Giancarlo Giannini) receives his American citizenship, and lively Italian dancing ensues at a huge celebration at the winery. We choreographed the dancing and actually taught tarantella and mazurca steps to the stars of the film, including Giannini, Eric Roberts, Mary Stewart Masterson, Frank Campanella, Aldo Rey, and Eric Roberts' younger sister, then unknown, but now very famous -- Julia Roberts! Six of our dancers were also costumed to dance in the film and to sing a lovely Sicilian waltz tune, "Quannu ti vitti," written by Carmine and Itala Coppola (parents of Francis Ford Coppola). We met Carmine Coppola on the set and chatted with him between takes, and he gave us permission to use the song in our performances. The film itself was not a big hit, but it was a fabulous and unforgettable adventure for us.

In 2002, we hosted the IFAFA Conference in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with Balliamo!, a folk dance troupe from Sacramento, California. Nearly 100 participants arrived from throughout the United States to share dances and songs. In addition, we provided workshops on genealogy, membership recruitment, folk beliefs and cuisine, the history of Italian-Americans during WWII, and preserving oral histories. Participants also attended a craft session to create piatti di buon ricordo (remembrance plates). It was a memorable experience for all.




Click here for information on the research efforts that Il Quartiere Italiano has made to provide authentic folk presentations.


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