Sword dancing had largely disappeared from Italy's mountainous Piedmont region until revived by the Bal do Sabre group in 1968. The dance had been performed from 1900-1927, then in 1948 and 1951-1952; records go back to 1895 but it must have existed long before. The dancers use curved scimitars, peforming to the beat of a drum to recount the legend of a peasant condemned to death for refusing to give his daughter in marriage to a Moorish emperor. After his death, the Fool breathes new life into him in a role remininscent of mediaeval plays. The dancers wear colourful, Turkish-style costumes and were popular stars of both the 1996 and 1998 Sword Spectaculars.
