THE ITALIAN FOLK GROUP OF AUBURN
I COMPARI E LE COMARI
of Auburn, New York, USA
Mailing Address:
The Italian Folk Group of Auburn
19 Wilbur Avenue
Auburn, NY 13021 USA
Send email correspondence to Carmelo Signorelli, Director.
A Brief History of The Italian Folk Group of Auburn
Carmelo became interested in his Italian heritage after a visit to Italy several years earlier. He says, "As I toured the country, I was amazed at the extent and richness of Italian art, architecture, and history. I was so impressed that, upon my return, I joined the Italian Heritage Society, became active in it, and, before long, formed the folk group."
They began as a singing group, adding a dance or two the following year. In 1987, they had one dance and a dozen songs; they now perform more than 22 dances and over 100 songs! They sing to piano, electric keyboard, or accordion accompaniment, and dance to recorded music.
Under the auspices of the Italian Heritage Society, the folk group participated in a number of Italian festivals and cultural fairs until 1990, when the Italian Folk Group became independent of the Society. As an independent organization, they have organized and presented two majors functions of their own, "An Afternoon in Italy" and "An Evening in Italy." Each included a full-course dinner followed by a performance by the group. Both events sold out the capacity of the house, over 300 attendees!
The members of the group wear Italian folk costumes during performances, but do not represent specific regions. Each member is responsible for making or obtaining his or her costume. Each season, the members work on adding to their costumes to make them more authentic. Carmelo's wife, Emily, serves as the costuming director for the group. Some costume information was obtained from Cav. Elba Gurzau's book Folk Dances, Costumes and Customs of Italy; other costumes were fashioned by observing costumes worn by Italian folk troupes in the U.S. and in Italy. Sources for dance information have been, again, Cav. Gurzau's book, as well as videotapes and instructions from other performing troupes. They do modify some dances, mainly by eliminating hopping, which Carmelo states is "too strenuous for us old folks." He also occasionally works out dances of his own, using authentic simple figures taken from other Italian folk dances.
Most of the group's participants are senior citizens who take great pride in their Italian heritage. The members belong to Auburn's Retired Senior Volunteer Program and travel throughout Central New York to perform songs and dances at nursing homes, adult homes, churches, schools, and festivals, including the New York State Fair.
Members of
Italian Folk Art Federation of America, Inc.
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