Basic Steps in Rigodon Dance

By Alissa Kinney ; Updated September 15, 2017

The Rigodon—also called Rigodon de

Honor—is a traditional dance from the
Philippines that evolved from dances
brought to the Pacific islands by
Spanish settlers in the sixteenth
century (the Rigodon dance was also
said to be popular in French and
Spanish courts). Historically, the dance
is meant to represent a certain sense
of elevated status among those who
take part in it, and is often performed
at galas, balls and other formal occasions celebrated by the rich and powerful, especially those in
government.

First Basic Rigodon Steps

The steps of the Rigodon are meant to be performed gracefully and elegantly; participants
should have excellent posture and complete their steps crisply and almost rigidly.

In the Rigodon de Honor, couples usually stand in a square and each couple starts by facing the
couple across from them. The couples move to the center of the square to bow and curtsy to the
dancer of the opposite gender standing across from them intermittently throughout the dance.

The couples elevate and join their hands, keeping their hands like this throughout the dance,
with the exception of the times they are bowing or curtsying to the opposite couple. They then
perform a series of quick jumps in place before couples on two opposite sides of the square
formation come to the center of the square to meet each other, bowing and curtsying as
described above.

Additional Rigodon Steps

Keeping in time with the music of the Rigodon (a quick-timed beat called a quadrille), dancers
complete a series of turns, jumps, and "parade" gestures, in which the male shows off his female
partner. The dance can last as long as ten minutes, with the steps described repeating over and
over.