Folk

Dances
from
Luzon

Sayaw sa Bangko

Sayaw sa Bango is a dance which

originates from Pangasinan and researched
by Jovita Sison. It is performed by a
couple on a narrow bench, inching and
hopping from one end to another. Dancer
show skill in staying up the bench as they
exchange places by moving their way around
or the girl thrown in the air while boy
moves to the other end. They do not
compete but rather complement each other
so that no one falls. It is usually
performed during town fiestas.

Maglalatik

The maglalatik is a four part war dance

telling a story between a battle between the
Muslims and the Christians (completely
removing the native people from their own
story). Instead of being armed with sticks,
the dancers wear a harness of coconut shells
on their hands, chest, back, hips, and
thighs. The dancers are split into opposing
tribes that battle each other by slapping the
coconuts on themselves and other dancers. The
first half of the dance depicts the
preparation and the battle itself. The second
half depicts the reconciliation and baptism
of the Muslims who technically won the
battle.

Folk
Dances
from
Visayas

Tinikling

The tinikling dance is one of the most

popular and well-known of traditional
Philippine dances. The tinikling is a preSpanish dance from the Philippines that
involves two people beating, tapping, and
sliding bamboo poles on the ground and
against each other in coordination with one
or more dancers who step over and in between
the poles in dance. The name is a reference
to birds locally known as tikling. The term
tinikling literally means tikling-like. The
dance originated in Leyte as an imitation of
tikling bird dodging bamboo traps set by rice
farmers. The dance imitates the movement of
the tikling bird as it walk between grass
stems, run over tree branches, or dodge
bamboo traps. Dancers imitate the tikling
bird's legendary grace and speed by
skillfully maneuvering between bamboo poles.

Kuradang

Kuradang is a lively festival dance

performed during fiestas, wedding, baptismal
parties and other occasions that call for a
celebration. Kuradang, also known as curacha,
is popular in Bohol (Philippines), where it is
performed to the accompaniment of a rondalla,
an ensemble of string instruments. The dance
is performed in three parts, with three
different rhythms. The dancing couple starts
the performance with a ballroom waltz. Then
the music shifts to a faster beat for the
chasing scene, in which the female dancer
flees and the male pursues her all across the
dance floor. In final part the chase ends with
a furiously flirtatious scene. The female is
won over, and the male imitates a flamboyant
bird in a mating dance.

Folk
Dances
from
Mindanao

Singkil

Singkil, a dance originating from

Lanao del Sur, Mindanao is said to be a
dance of Muslim royalty. To the rhythmic
clapping of bamboo poles, the dancers weave
expertly through crisscrossed bamboos, the
ladies dressed in elegant Muslim costumes
waving great big fans, the men flipping
brightly colored handkerchiefs right and
left. The dancers wearing solemn faces and
maintaining a dignified pose being dancing
at a slow pace which soon progresses to a
faster tempo.

Pangalay

Pangalay is a popular festival dance in

Sulu. It is performed in wedding celebrations
and at big social affairs. The Pangalay
emphasizes the mastery of hand gestures,
postures, and subtle movement. It is an
extremely slow and solemn dance, stressing
the abstract purity of form. Usually dancers
arrive on the scene in an orderly geometric
procession formation, carrying the hems of
their batik sarongs. Majestic, almost
martial, music accompanies them to the scene
of the performance. The dancers then kneel
down in respect before beginning the actual
dance. Footwork is relatively simple, but the
grouping of the dancers changes almost
unnoticeably, creating ever-newer and
increasingly intricate patterns, like pieces
on a chessboard.