Dances of the Philippines

Folk dances are part of the rich history of the Philippines. Today,Filipinos incorporate folk dances with other styles and are still used by the Filipinos today, mostly in fiestas and cultural performances. In this blog, I will talk about the cultural dances of three major islands of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. I am not going to list every single dance that the Philippines has, I will talk about a few of them.

Luzon

BANGA

Banga is a contemporary performance of Kalinga of the Mountain Province in the Philippines. This pot dance illustrates the languid grace of a tribe otherwise known as fierce warriors

MAGLALATIK

Maglalatik, a mock war dance, is performed in Binan, Laguna.The war dance uses latik coconut meat. It represents a fight between the Moro and Christians and pays tribute to the patron saint, San IsidroLabrador

Jotabal

This dance originated from Camiguin, Gumaca, Quezon (formerly known as Tayabas). The word “jotabal” is derived from“jota”, a popular dance introduced by theSpaniards, and “valse”,which is a kind of waltz performed in ¾ time.

Visayas

TINIKLING

In English, “tinikling”means “bamboo dance”. It imitates the movements of tikling birds which are known for their legendary movements.

KURATSA

Kuratsa is a dance that is highly favored by the Waray people ofEastern Visayas. Even The “basic” Kuratsa music is not based onMexican or evenSpanish melodies but just bolero-inspired lilting music.

MAZURKA BOHOLANA

Mazurka Boholana is a Spanish-inspired ballroom dance fromBohol. This dance is believed to be actuallyPolish and was wildly popular throughoutEurope in the 19th century, even in colonized lands.

Mindanao

ITIK-ITIK

Originating from Surigao del Norte, Itik-Itik is a dance that imitates the movement of a duck. It is performed to the tune of Dejado. “Itik-Itik”means “duck” in local Tagalog language.

SINGKIL

It is a re-telling of an episode from theMaranao epic legend Darangen involving the rescue of Princess Gandingan(abducted by the diwatas) by the legendary Prince Bantugan. It is a popular dance performed during celebrations and other festive entertainment. Originally Only women, particularly royalty, danced the Singkil, which serves as either conscious or unconscious advertisement to potential suitors.

Sources:

Ortiz, Ma. Aurora A. Art: Perception and Appreciation. Philippines: Publishers Association of the Philippines, 1976.
CCP Encyclopedia of the Philippine Art. Volume: Dance, 2017. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines.
https://www.google.com/search?q=DANCE&sxsrf=ALeKk01qb7grM40jJ2ciKc_0fNZOaX1IUA:1596408360124&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTvOLJzP3qAhVUNKYKHcAUCwkQ_AUoAnoECA4QBA&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=x6HQL8P8k1hGKM
https://www.dancepinoy.com/2018/03/defining-streetdance-in-philippines.html
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https://www.slideshare.net/andjiedelnarvaez/contemporary-dance-86859419
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/OphelynnCano/4-q4-contemporary-dance
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/dance/philippine-dance-in-the-spanish-period/
https://www.slideshare.net/andjiedelnarvaez/contemporary-dance-86859419