Michael Murano is an 11 year old whose ancestry dates back to the year 1540 to Alfonso and Russiano Murano who lived in Salerno, Italy. Salerno Italy is located in the southwestern part of Italy, off the Gulf of Salerno in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Renaissance is commonly referred to as the rebirth of art in Europe and this was the case for many different types of art, including dance, theater and art. In the 1600s, dance was used to tell stories in the form of ballets and was entertainment for the social classes. Renaissance people danced for many different reasons, ranging from religious prayer to entertainment at social gatherings. Renaissance dance was highly choreographic with simple movements unlike modern dance. Cohen (2001) noted: “On the beat, the dancers rose, not fell. They held their upper bodies gracefully upright, keeping their hands mostly low. The lively movements were in the legs, where the complicated steps, kicks, jumps, and stomps showed style and virtuosity” (283). The costumes the dancers wore were very traditional, with the men wearing leggings and tunics while the women were bogged down by heavy, layered dresses that covered their legs and feet. These dances were sometimes performed solo, but most of the time they were performed in pairs. The dance was always performed with live music consisting of clavichords, a professional harpsichord, and a small drum to keep the dancers in rhythm. Cohen pointed out: “The elite danced to small bands consisting of a drum, bagpipes, and several shawms (like oboes); peasants often used bagpipes. Tempos varied from slow bass to fast saltarello and piva” (283). These dancers were highly skilled graceful artists and were in high demand for entertainment...... middle of paper ...... final life or death decision. Italy has come a long way since gladiatorial battles and has changed its focus to preserving its culture in art and religion. Italy is also home to some of the finest custom glassblowing in the world. Off the coast of Venice, Italy is the island of Murano where the Murano Glass Factory is located which houses the artisans who use the works cited by Cohen, ES and Cohen, TV (2001). Daily life in the Italian Renaissance. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Grout, J. (nd). The Roman gladiator. The Roman gladiator. Accessed November 11, 2013, from http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/gladiators/gladiators.htmlKillinger, CL (2005). Culture and customs of Italy. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Wilson, E. and Goldfarb, A. (2008). Theatre: the living art (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.