Egle Pantane
LADY OF THE DANCE
Like the power of an idea whose time has come, reaching for the best
there is in all of us, this is what our Lady of the Dance is all about.
Introducing Egle Patanč. A state of mind where talent dwells, and
refinement begins.
Charming. Gracious. Urbane. Once headed a singing group which
toured Canada. Former educator who taught Italian language and
culture at St. Edward's High School Adult Education in Vero Beach.
But always with a gentle and enduring passion for preserving Italian
American folklore tradition. Touching people's lives through music
and dance. A very particular kind of dance.
A dance of ancient remedy. And modem courtship.
The Tarantella.
Egle grew up in a small community near Venice. Did all the right
things. Attended the right schools. Earning a degree in Accounting
and Languages. With never a thought of one day becoming a legend.
She, of course, puts a more modest spin on her accomplishments. But ask
the audiences where her troupe performs. The Indian River Arts Council.
Indian River Community College. Prestige venues throughout our -
area...notably our own annual Food Festival. The word fits.
Indeed, the dance itself is steeped in myth and legend. One writer (Anthony Parente) says its
origins can he traced back to ths Middle Ages when an epidemic of tarantism swept through the
town of Taranto in southern Italy, all through the bite of a poisonous Tarantella spider. The victim,
usually a woman known as the Tarantata, would fall into a trance cured only by frenzied dancing.
Another theory claimed the victim was a woman depressed by her subordinate lifestyle. in her case,
the cure required three days of music and dancing. Another writer (Anna Pishner) dates the dance
from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Under volcanic ash in the ruins of Pompeii were
friezes of dancers doing the Tarantella and other dances.
Whatever the truth, fact or fiction, the Tarantella is with us today to appreciate and enjoy...thanks
to Egle and others like her.
Meantime, her family is probably her greatest "fan club." She and her husband, Clandio, a retired
mechanical/technical engineer, have two grown children. Elizabeth, a teacher. ..and George, an
import-export executive...and a grandson, Simon.
Surely they would be the first to agree.
With an Egle at our side, life can endow us with purpose...and fun. Without an Egle, life can be...
merely passing through.
Founder. Maestro, Producer,
Director, Choreographer of the
Tarantella Dance Ensemble at the
Italian American Civic
Association in Vero Beach.
Member of the Ladies Auxilary of
IACA since 1982, and Treasurer
Secretary th 1983-1988.
Member Profile (by Les Rossi)
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