HAZEL ANN C.

DE GUZMAN BEED 2 CLASS 2

INSTRUCTOR: MS. NITA CALADO

TOPIC: SINGKIL

I. INTRODUCTION
Singkil originated from the Maranao people who inhabit the shores of Lake Lanao. It is a
re-telling of an episode from the Maranao epic legend Darangen involving the rescue of
Princess Gandingan who is abducted by diwata 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 a conscious
or unconscious advertisement to potential suitors. The dance takes its name from the
heavy rings worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. A kulintang and agung ensemble
always accompanies the dance.

II. DISCUSSION

Singkil is a dance style that was created to honour the “Holy Cross of Alitagtag” also
known locally as the “Mahal Na Poong Santa Cruz”, and is performed mainly in the month
of May.

Furthermore, it also possesses a few adaptations which include a dance referred to as

Rajah Bantugan. In addition, this dance style was first used in the 2001 American
independent film known as “The Debut” which was directed by a Filipino American named
Gene Cajayon.
This adaptation is divided the dance into four movements:

• First movement – "Asik", where the slave with umbrella is introduced.

• Second movement – entrance of Putri Gandingan, the entourage of female fan or scarf dancers,
and the arrival of Rajah Bantugan.
• Third movement – Patay, which is a slow section, and is a structural dance convention often
found in Western performances.
• Fourth movement – the climax in which all dancers dance to the crescendo of music.

Costumes used in the Singkil Dance:

A Maranaw costume is mainly worn in this form of dancing. In addition, the female lead
dancer wears an elaborate dress of a princess and holds “decorated fans” in both hands,
while the male lead dancer holds either handkerchiefs in both hands and in some cases
a sword and a shield and other dancers elegantly dancing between rhythmically striking
bamboo poles held by the fellow dance troupe. There are many bamboo pole-based
dances in the world but this one has a distinctive flair about it.

Music involved in the Singkil Dance:

The musical instruments used in this dance form are the kotiyapi like bamboo guitar,
bamboo flute, kobing like harp, and tintikan like metal sticks.
REFLECTION

Philippines has unique traditional dances and one of this is Singkil where it has different
styles and different outfits that the dancers wear when they dance. There are also different
props that they use like bamboo poles so that they can do the dance. There are a lot of
unique Filipino traditional dances because on how they gracefully move and how they
use different props to do the dances. Folk dances are significant in our modern lives
because we need to remember our culture and we need to preserve and to keep on doing
these traditional dances so that the next generation will know what the traditional dances
that were performed. The value of studying folk dances is folk dances have tendencies to
tell a story behind the dance. There are folk dances that are like storytelling and it really
portrays the value of studying folk dances. As a student in order to promote Philippine
folk dance I need to study it and try to dance it because I think if a lot of people are trying
to dance Philippine folk dances, I think that they will be influenced to dance and maybe
they will share it to their friends, and it will become popular again. To preserve Philippine
folk dance, I will try to teach it and spread information about Philippine folk dance and tell
them that it is important to study the different types of folk dances.