PE 2: Rhythmic Activities
dance.
Tiklos (Folk Dance)
Value and Importance of Folk Dances
Folk arts, specially folk music and dance, embody fundamental
values of great worth to our culture, our nation, and the youth.
There is no better way to share time together as families and
friends. Our job is to preserve the joyful tunes we’ve inherited from
our ancestors and pass them on to others. A group called Colerain
Connection is quite dedicated to the dissemination and
preservation of traditional folk arts. Its very important to see
musical artists performing on instruments they have crafted, or
playing vibrant melodies from their grandfather's fiddle. This group
is all about preserving history and tradition.
Value
Philippine Folk Dance helps keep the people connected to their
ancestry and their traditions. Folk dance helps to preserve the
cultural unity of the people.
Importance
People think folk dances are important because they keep cultural
alive. People have been doing folk dances for hundreds of years,
and there is value keeping that tradition alive.
Folk dances are important because they preserve the Philippine
culture and pass it on the next generation. They are a uniting force
to the Filipino people.
What is the purpose of folk dancing?
✓ Culture – is the ideas, customs and social behavior of
particular society.
✓ Folk art forms – are the methods through which these
ideas and customs are kept alive. It is also a method
through which children become apart of the culture by
inculcating those ideas and customs, through songs and
✓ Folk dances – should not be practiced just for the sake of
safeguarding our rich cultural heritage. Folk dance is not
just reminiscences of the past. But acts as passage
connecting the past and future.
What is Tiklos dance?
Also called “pintakasi” - is the Waray equivalent to the
"bayanihan". Groups of people work for somebody without hoping
for anything in return. They work odd jobs like clearing forests,
digging the earth for wells, moving a nipa hut to a new location or
even building a house.
Tiklos
• A native peasant dance of Leyte. Very early in the morning,
the leader of the tiklos beats the tambora, a kind of drum
made from a hollow trunk of a tree with a carabao hide
head. Next comes sounds of the subing (bamboo flutes)
and the guimbal - a small snare drum with a head of a
parchment made from the skin of a wildcat.
• The peasants come out with grass hooks, bols and other
garden tools and farm implements. Led by the band, they
march together to work in the fields. During breaks the
peasants enjoy themselves with tuba (a native wine) and
the rest dance the tiklos accompanied by the subing
(plawta), guimbal and tambora drums or when available,
the “sista” played by the band. The Tiklos music is also
played to call them back to work.
• Costume – Dancers are dressed in working costume.
• Music – Divided into to parts, A and B.
• Count – One, Two.
Formation • Step 4: Execute a three step turn right but still in proper
place and step left foot in front and step back close to the
Partners stand opposite each other about six feet apart. When
right.
facing audience, girls stands at partners’ right side. One to any
• Step 5: Repeat step 1 to 4 twice the beat.
numbers of pairs may take part in this part.
Figure 4: touch step dance
Basic Steps in Tiklos
• Step 1: Partners face each other, same position of hands as
Figure 1: Heel and toe change steps
in figure 1. take two touch steps in front alternate left and
Partner face front. Throughout this figure, woman folds her skirt, right foot.
man places hands on waist. • Step 2: Jump while right and left foot are closely crossing in
the same place.
• Step 1: Starting with the right foot, take heel and toe
• Step 3: Repeat step 1 and 2 but start in left foot.
changes steps forward.
• Step 4: Repeat step 1, 2 and 3 twice the beat.
• Step 2: Move and change step sideward to the right and
left.
• Step 3: Starting with right foot, take four steps backward to
go in proper places.
• Step 4: Repeat steps 1 to 3 twice the beat.

Figure 2: Cut step and gallop

Partners face in front. The same hand position as in figure 1.

• Step 1: Do the gallop dance step start with right foot in front
next the left foot backward. Repeat it twice. Partners are
facing each other and moving alternately.
• Step 2: Cut step sideward while doing hoping.
• Step 3: Repeat steps 2 and 2 twice the beat.

Figure 3: Hand clapping, feet change steps

• Step 1: Partners face each other. Throughout this figure,

clap hands in front of chest in the manner. Clap three times,
and clap twice together with the music beat. Do this for
sixteen counts.
• Step 2: Execute change steps sideward, starting with right
foot, next position the left foot swinging obliquely (a side
angle).
• Step 3: Repeat step 1 and 2 but in another side position.