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Overview: Traditional Dances in the Philippines Folk dances are the indigenous dances of any specific “folk” or common people. They are traditional customary or recreational dance forms of a given country which have evolved naturally and were handed down across generations. Folk dances are related to everything of importance in our daily lives, such as customs, rituals, and occupations of a specific group pf people. Most of these dances are related in origin to religious belief, stemming from emotions, superstitions, festivals, ceremonies of birth, courtship, marriage, death, war, and countless themes common to all people around the world. According to Duggan, Schlottman, and Rutledge (1948), folk dance became the overt expression of emotions and ideas which were peculiarly significant or the re-enactment of customs and events constituting an important part of their history and patterns of daily living. Lopez (2006) defined Philippine folk dance as a traditional mode of expression that employs bodily movements of redundant patterns linked to definitive features of rhythmic beats or music. She further stated that Philippine folk dance, to be called such, should have the following characteristics:
- It is traditional.
- It has an expressive behavior.
- Simple, basic rhythm dominates the folk dance and establishes the pattern of movement.
- It is created by an unknown choreographer or by communal efforts.
- It performs a function in the life of the (folk) people. Oftentimes, the term folk dance is being confused or used interchangeably with ethnic and national dance. Question:
W hat are the differences between folk, national, and ethnic dances?
Folk dances are traditional dances found in a certain country while national dances are also traditional folk dances but have a national scope. They are popular and widely danced throughout a given country, often with a number of regional variations.
The Philippine dances Cariñosa, Curacha, and Pandango are examples of national folk dance
as they are popular dances throughout the country. Pandanggo, for example, has several variations coming from both Luzon and Visayas Islands, Even without one locality, dancers have different ways of performing it.
Lecturette
“Dance is fun! It lifts the spirit,
strengthens the body, and stimulates the
mind.”
- Wayne Sleep (1986) Source: https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/filipino- dance.html
Examples of Pandango dances are: Pandango Ilocano Pandango Visayan Pandango Dumagueteño Pandango Ivatan Pandango Rinconada Pandango sa Ilaw Ethnic dances or ethnological dances are those performed in primitive tribes and have retained their close kinship with religious ritual and community custom. These dances may require a certain level of special performing skills (Kraus, 1962) that are symbolic in meaning, making it harder for those outside the group to understand. They can be performed in three different categories, namely, ritual, life-cycle, and occupational. In the Philippines, dances originating from Ifugao people of the northern Luzon, T’boli tribe from Southern Mindanao, and Tagbanua tribe from Palawan are examples of ethnic dances. Below are few examples of the different types of ethnic dances: a. Ritual dances – dances that depict ritual ceremonies. Examples are Dugso (Bukidnon) and Pagdidiwata (Palawan). b. Life-cycle dances – dances relating to the cycle of human life such as birthing, courtship, wedding, and funeral. Examples are Binasuan (Pangasinan) and Daling-daling (Muslim courtship dance from Sulu). c. Occupational dances – dances that exhibit work and occupation of the dancers. Examples are Mag-Asik (Cotabato) and Mananagat (Cebu) dances. All national and ethnic dances are folk dances, but not all folk dances are considered national or ethnic dances. The Philippine has very rich and varied folk dances. There are hundreds of traditional dance collections found in the country that are mostly for all occasions. They come from the southern to northern parts of the Philippine Islands. These dances exhibit the customs, ideas, beliefs, superstitions, and events of daily living in a certain Filipino community. The origin of the dances may be seen by looking at the costumes, props, and implements of a certain group or tribe. However, due to acculturation, Philippine indigenous dances may have evolved and modified since cultures of other countries have greatly influenced these dances. The manifestations can be seen by the kinds of costumes, props, music, and dance steps used and integrated into some of the regional and national folk dances of the Philippines. Some of these dances were influenced by the neighboring Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and China to name a few. Question: W hat are the different types of Philippine folk dances? There are several ways to classify Philippine folk dances. According to Francisca Reyes- Aquino, folk dances may be classified by geographical extent of origin, nature, speed of movement, formation, and distinguishing feature. Lately, folkloric specialists merged regional and functional classifications to sort out the different dance materials (Lopez, 2006). The three major regional classifications of Philippine folk dances are tribal dances from the Cordilleras, dances from lowland Christians, and Muslim dances.
- Tribal dances from Cordilleras – include non-Christian dances from the Cordilleras.
Note: There are handful of fundamental dance steps recorded in dance but the steps included in this list are only those that will be used for some of the folk dances covered in this topic. Source: Fundamental Dance Steps and Music by Francisca Reyes Aquino (1965) Philippine Folk Dance Dance Terms Used in performing Folk Dance, Philippines. The Following are the common Dance Terms in Philippine Folk Dance: Abracete – Girl at the right side, holds Right arm of partner with her Left hand, free hands down at the sides. This terms is of Spanish and is used in Rigodon and in other dances.
with left elbows almost touching) using walking or any kind of dance step. The hands near each other are on waists. This is a tagalong term but is of Spanish origin. Jump – Spring on one foot or both feet, landing on both in any direction. Kewet - kumintang with thumbs up Kumintang – Moving the hand from the wrist either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This is an Ilocano term. Leap – A spring from one foot landing on the other foot in any direction(forward, sideward, backward or oblique) Masiwak – To turn the hand from the wrist half-way clockwise then raise and lower wrist once or twice. This is an Ibanag term. Outside Foot – The foot away one’s partner, when partners stand side by side. Outside Hand – The hand away from one’s partner, when partners stand side by side. Patay - To bend the head downward and to support the forehead with the right or left forearm. Place – To put the foot in a certain or desired position without putting weight on it. The sole of the foot rests flat on the floor. Point – Touch lightly with the toes of one foot, weight of the body on the other. Saludo –partner bow to each other, to the audience, opposite dancers, or to the neighbor. Sarok – Cross the Right (or left) foot in front of the Left (or right), bend the body slightly forward and cross the hands down in front with the Right (Left) hand over the Left(Right). Set – A dance formation like a quadrille or a unit composed of two or more pairs. Stamp – To bring down the foot forcibly and noisily on the floor (like doing heavy steps). Star with the Right Hand – Four or more people advance to the center and join Right hands and circle around clockwise using walking or change or any other step. Star with the left hand – same as “Star with the Right hand” only join Left hands and counterclockwise. Step – To advance or recede by raising and moving one foot to another resting place. There is a complete transfer of weight from one foot to the other. Tap – To tap lightly with the ball or tip of the toe, placing weight of the body on the foot. There is no change or transfer of weight here. Source: http://dancesfromthephilippines.blogspot.com/p/dance-terms.html
