In Memoriam: Alice Petta-Goldie

Some sad news from Balliamo in Sacramento. Many of you will remember Alice Petta-Goldie who attended several IFAFA conferences in the past. The following paragraph is from her daughter.

It is with heavy heart I want you and your organization to know that my mother Alice Petta Goldie passed away in her sleep in the wee hours of June 15, 2017. She had her last dinner with friends and family at her Sons of Italy club meeting. She had a wonderful life!
Sincerely,
Peggy Alexander

Here is part of her obituary published in The Sacramento Bee on June 18, 2017:

Vita Alice Petta Goldie was born in Sacramento on August 16, 1924 to Elena Sclafani Relles Petta and Rosario Petta. She was born into a large and loving Sicilian family. Wow– what a life she lived!! She kept everyone striving to stay Continue reading “In Memoriam: Alice Petta-Goldie”

Shirley Martignoni Fedeli Honored by Italian Government

Shirley Martignoni Fedeli, formerly of Amici Italiani of Rockford, IL, now living in Michigan with her husband Gene, was recently awarded one of Italy’s highest honors. The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, has conferred upon Shirley Martignoni-Fedeli the most prestigious honor of Cavaliere dell’ Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy). The distinction is bestowed upon individuals of Italian heritage living outside of Italy for extraordinary contributions to the preservation of the Italian spirit and promotion of Italy’s prestige and friendly relations with other countries through various activities. It is the highest honor the Italian government can bestow upon a person of Italian heritage residing outside of Italy.

The ceremony took place on June 2, 2015 at the National Italian- American Sports Hall of Fame on Taylor Street in the heart of Chicago’s Little Italy. Italy’s elected representative for Italian citizens living in North and Central America, Senatore Renato Turano, presented the Ribbon and Medal of the Order to her. The event was sponsored by the Italian Consulate of Chicago.

Shirley’s recognition by the Italian government was for 30 plus years of promoting and preserving Italian heritage and culture in Rockford, Illinois. She is a charter member of the Greater Rockford Italian American Association (GRIAA) and currently serves as director emeritus. Continue reading “Shirley Martignoni Fedeli Honored by Italian Government”

Frank H. DiCristina … and Gina

Frank DiCristina (1920 – 2015) took great pride in being Italian and, especially, Sicilian. A man rich in character and personality, Frank was extremely proud of his family and their Sicilian heritage, his Catholic faith, andhismilitary service. His family was his most valued treasure, and he lived by the words “tutta la famiglia.” Frank grew up in Atlanta, GA, in the Catholic Italian community, and his love of heritage and faith followed him throughout his life. While living and working in Fayetteville, NC, he was very involved in the Sons of Italy and was recognized for numerous achievements. Although he passed away in 2015 at the age of 95, he once had a love in his life that he cherished as much as his family. She was a wooden donkey named Gina.

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Earthquake Tie-Rods

The Ties That Bind
— Jackie Capurro

The first time that I visited my paternal cousins in the Abruzzo region in 1976, the houses of the four families that belonged to my relatives were interspersed among another 10-15 houses on a single gravel road, Colle Marrollo, that ran along the crest of a hill outside the village of Scerni, inland from the Adriatic seaside town of Vasto. As we walked along the road, I noticed what looked like very large metallic rods attached to the exterior surfaces of the walls of many houses. When I asked what they were, I was told that they held the house together in the event of an earthquake.

At first, I thought that they were trying to see how much their gullible young American cousin would believe, but they weren’t joking. In fact, not only do these metal tie-rods truly hold the houses together, they also allow the occupants to “pull the walls back together” if they shake loose! I was intrigued!

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Cuzzupa

Cuzzupa, a Traditional Easter Bread from Calabria

A classic Easter dessert in the region of Calabria, the cuzzupa is a lightly sweetened cake with eggs nestled into it. It is a tradition to make one cuzzupa for each member of the family, and the size of each cake may depend on age and “hierarchy” of the family member– the head of the family gets the biggest cake while the children get the smallest ones! Cuzzupe are a nice alternative to chocolate and other sweets that children receive at Easter time.

Cuzzupe can be made in many shapes. They’re molded by hand into braids, rings, hearts, nests, baskets, dolls, etc. A different shape may be used for each member of the family.

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Poem: Dear Ancester


Dear Ancestor

Author Unknown

Your tombstone stands among the rest
Neglected and alone.
The name and the date are chiseled out
On polished, marbled stone.
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn.
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh, in blood, in bone.
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own.
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so.
I wonder if you lived and loved,
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot,
And come to visit you

2010 IFAFA Conference in Hartford, CT

Wow, we did it!!!!! …. It was the first time the Italian Culture Center of Education and Cuor d’Italia ever even thought of hosting a national conference, but …. we did it!!!

The conference started unofficially on Friday night, October 14, with Board and Open Member meetings. Later, we gathered in the dance hall, where Cuor d’Italia dancers taught Sbrondo, a fast-moving dance from Emilia-Romagna. Then, off to the Hospitality Room for relaxing and a “get to know each other” evening. Lots of food, drink and merriment.

Saturday morning started with the following workshops, lectures and entertainment:

  • Cooking With Nina: Demonstration & tasting delicious Polpette Di Riso e Patate – Nina DiMascio
  • Dance workshops: Doris Beckert, Jackie Capurro, Mark DeSanctis & Susie DeSanctis Christiansen
  • Lecture: Italian Migrations – Jason Scappaticci
  • Lecture: Food & Unification of Italy – Prof. Dario DelPuppo
  • Lecture: The Italian Design – Prof. Antonio Scontrino
  • Music & Singing: Travelling through Italy – Prof. Enzo Boscarino
  • Cantiamo Insieme: Italian songs – Christine Petrucci (Remember La Spagnola?)
  • Create Your Own Rosary Beads

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LA MAZURCA PIEMONTESE

(as performed by Il Quartiere Italiano, San Francisco Bay Area, California)

Performed in many countries, mazurkas are usually flirtatious couple dances. In Italy, La Mazurca is danced primarily throughout the northern part of the country, although Sicilian versions do exist. This is a courtship dance which shows its character in a series of mimed teasing and coaxing, with first the women, then the men, promenading before one another to give each other the once-over.

This mazurca is danced to “Oi Bela Vorejsse V’ni,” a traditional song of Piemonte in Piemontese dialect. In the teasing lyrics, the man tries to entice the woman to go away with him. She replies that, if he wants to marry her, she’ll gladly join him; otherwise, she’ll just wait where she is.

This dance is done with no less than three couples, and it looks nice with five to six couples. If you want more couples to participate, a second circle could be set up if the dance area is large enough.

BEGINNING POSITION: Double circle, partners facing each other, men with backs to center of circle. Man and woman hold multi-colored ribbons between them (1 yard lengths in several festive colors, knotted or sewn together about 6” from either end) both in right hands at approximately shoulder level. Man’s free hand on hip, woman’s free hand holding skirt. Circle moves counter-clockwise (CCW).

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Knoedeldrahner

(taught by Il Quartiere Italiano, San Francisco Bay Area, California)

We learned this dance at the 1989 IFAFA Conference in Utica, NY, presented by David A. Valentine, as taught to him by Karen P. Gottier in 1986. This dance is from the area in northeastern Italy known as the Sudtirolo, South Tyrol, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which became the Alto-Adige region of Italy after World War II. The cultural heritage of this region is Germanic/Austrian. When performing this dance, the Austrian heritage of the dance should be explained. It is not an Italian dance, but a Germanic dance from what is now part of Italy. It is included in an Italian folk dance repertoire because it is danced now by Germanic Italians. A nice video of this dance can be found on YouTube at: < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJFHjKFvexM >

Beginning formation: Couples in a circle facing LOD. Partners stand side-by-side with woman on man’s right. Arms are crossed in front, right arm above (skater’s position) with hands held at chest height.

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La Giga Occitana

This choreography was created for BALLIAMO! of Sacramento, California, based on material presented at the 1994 Mendocino Folklore Camp by Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco. It was taught at the 2002 IFAFA Conference in San Francisco by Drew Herzig, choreographer for Balliamo! Folk Dance Troupe of Sacramento, CA.

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