Folk Dance
(Presentation)
Caparaz, Angelo
Sawit, Mary Joy
Geneblaza, Joshua
PE-2
ME-1A
Kuratsa Folk Dance
What is the Kuratsa folk dance?
● Kuratsa is a dance of flirtation and courtship, designed to be danced with a partner
● Brief History The Kuratsa is believed to be a Mexican import.
the Kuratsa is however, very different in the manner of execution
than the Mexican counterpart. Even the "basic" Kuratsa music
is not based on Mexican or even Spanish melodies.
● Philippine dance researchers, however, point either to the "Kigal '' and the "Bikal" as the 'ascendant' of the
Kuratsa. Kigal meaning “hawk” and bikal meaning “joust of dance”.
● Popular versions of this dance exists can be classified as the Kuratsa Menor , Kuratsa Mayor, Kuratsa
kanan Kadam-an and a very funny Kuratsa nga Pinayungan appropriate for rainy days.
Kuratsa Folk Dance
● There are dozens of Filipino folk dance that imitate the behavior of animals. Kuratsa folk dance
is one of them. Its movements mimic the mating ritual of a rooster and hen.
Questions to be tackled:
What is the What is the time
What costume to dance
Philippines courtship signature of the
kuratsa folk dance?
folk dance? kuratsa?
History of Kuratsa
The Kuratsa is believed to be a
Mexican import (supposedly from
La Cucaracha dance typical to
Monterrey region of Mexico) - the
Kuratsa is however, very different in
the manner of execution than the
Mexican counterpart. Even the
"basic" Kuratsa music is not based
on Mexican or even Spanish
melodies.
Philippine dance researchers, however, point either to the "Kigal '' and the "Bikal" as the
'ascendant' of the Kuratsa. The Kigal (spelled "Quigal" in early Spanish writings on Samar
culture and lifeways) is a sort of battle-of-sexes couple dance that imitates mating birds. The
Kigal is in fact called by another name: Binanug or Kiglun (Kigalun?) that's according to a 17th
century Samarnon dictionary by a Jesuit missionary to Samar, Fr. Alcazar. It is interesting that
Banug is the Waray word for the hawk.
The Bikal is rather believed to be the forerunner of the Waray Balitaw because of the strict
emphasis on "joust" of impromptu songs interspersed with dancing. The bikal is survived by
the Ismay lingay and many versions of this art are preserved by aging "magsiriday" in Samar
and to a lesser extent Leyte.
The Kigal dance step called 'sabay' is in fact very similar to the Kuratsa dance step called
'dagit' or when more daring the 'sagparak'. Dagit means swoop while sagparak is descriptive
of a heated 'bulang' (cockfight). The block and chase portion of the Kuratsa (called 'palanat ' )
is never seen in the Mexican social dance La Cucaracha but is very common among Samar
'amenudo' (or couple dances) like the Ismay lingay, Amoracion, Alimukon, Kuradang and
Pantomina.
Popular versions of this dance exist in Samar can be classified as the Kuratsa Menor (the
usual favorite) and the many versions of the daring Kuratsa Mayor. New genres of Kuratsa
evolved as a result of necessity, like-as the name implies- Kuratsa kanan Kadam-an and a very
funny Kuratsa nga Pinayungan appropriate for rainy days.
What is the Philippines courtship folk dance?
There are many Philippine
folk dance that is related to
courtship but the two most
iconic in the Philippines are
the cariñosa and the kuratsa.
While the cariñosa shows
how affectionate you are to
one another the kuratsa is a
dance showcasing flirtation
and courtship.
The Kuratsa is the dance of courtship
from the Visayas region of the
Philippines. At weddings and fiestas,
the Kuratsa serves as the traditional
money dance where guests take turns
pinning money on the bride and
groom's attire. This symbolizes
friends' and families' wishes for good
luck and prosperity in the couple's
future.
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. The tempo picks up even more for the final part, in which the chase ends
with a furiously flirtatious scene. The female is won over, and the male imitates a
flamboyant bird in a mating dance
What costume to dance Kuratsa folk dance?
During the old days the
female wore patadyong
with camisa, with a soft
panuelo and the male
wears any colored trousers
and barong tagalog or
camisa de chino.
What is the time signature of the kuratsa?
The time signature of the
kuratsa dance is ¾. For
reference the time signature of
¾ is used mainly in waltz and
the timing for the dance is
perfect for a romantic setting.
But ¾ time signature is hard to
casually dance to and needs
practice to follow the steps.
Sample Video Presentation of Kuratsa
Music used in Kuratsa Folk Dance
“Dance as the narration of a magical
story; that recites on lips, illuminates
imaginations and embraces the most
sacred depths of souls.”
― Shah Asad Rizvi.
References
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